


Queen of the Night

by nachtmaredoll



Series: Paint It Black [3]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Consensual Underage Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Female Protagonist, Kurusu Akira - fem, Mystery, Time Travel - New Game + Mechanics, rewrite of old fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:28:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28626525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nachtmaredoll/pseuds/nachtmaredoll
Summary: Kurusu Akira has restarted the game, but this time it will be on her own terms, no matter how much chaos she must reap in order to defeat a God at his own game. On her quest to do so, she strikes a deal with Shido Masayoshi, forming a new bond with a new Arcana: the Wheel of Fortune.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Shido Masayoshi
Series: Paint It Black [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1853329
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	1. Velvet Chains I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovelies! I have returned and I’m very sorry for being away for so very long. This was sadly put on the back burner as last year consumed a part of my soul. 
> 
> With that said, I am rewriting this, and at some point the old version will come down, but for now I’m allowing it to stay. 
> 
> TW/CW: This is going to be a more dark toned fic. I have written this before, but I’m truly sure this will test my limits. Now, before anyone gets upset, the underage tag is for safety. Akira is mentally 18, as she’s already lived through a lifetime of the game once, but to everyone around her she’s only 17. 
> 
> Furthermore, there are brief mentions in this fic of attempted rape, sexual assault and harassment. This is not explicitly discussed, as I simply cannot write nor read such things. It is mentioned, in the same light ways that it is implied in-game with Kamoshida and to a lesser extent, Shido. 
> 
> There will *not* be rape/dubcon between Shido and Akira, I refuse to write it or read it. Also, this will be, in-part, a Shido redemption fic. This is not going to make him suddenly nice or an entirely good person. Likewise, Akira is going to dip a little closer into the gray areas of morality, but not terribly out of range as we see in-game. 
> 
> Read safely, carefully, and take care of yourself first and foremost.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday, April 10: The Velvet Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a new scene, rather instead it is a new chapter created by splitting the original chapter one into multiple parts. This is the start of a more organized state of writing, as days and dates will be followed. 
> 
> This may seem like it will get extremely long, and the idea isn’t too far off as an outstanding plot point revolves around dates and timing. Also, following the in-game calendar (weeks/date/days and not always events), will keep some of the game present, and I like the idea of such a light aesthetic.

She’d actually somehow forgotten her status of being a prisoner, bound by the chains of society and fate, keeping her trapped within a false assault charge as well as being locked up in a cell within the Velvet Room. It was hard to not react to Yaldabaoth in a sheer rage, as he sat there masquerading as Igor, but Arsène quietly hummed within her soul and soothed her temper. Her Persona’s presence helped to keep her calm, and only a year’s worth of perfecting her poker face allowed her to further keep her cool. On the plus side, she _was_ very happy to see the twins; despite her knowledge that they’re actually severed pieces of Lavenza’s soul, she’s fond of the two girls that act like little sisters. A part of her wonders if the two girls meeting Futaba and Shinya would be a _good_ or a _bad_ idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for any confusion that reorganizing the chapters to be split by days may cause, but this is easier in the long run. I hope everyone understands this change.


	2. A Prisoner’s Fortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monday, April 11: Akira has begun her first day at Shujin Academy, and while classes may have seemed to drag on, there are no rumors following her through the halls... she also acquires an interesting new Confidant.

_April 11_

_~ Monday_

Waking up on Monday was jarring. She’d dreamt of the Velvet Room and had come face-to-face with all her reasons for why she was doing this. She had to save her friends, build up her Confidants, and stop Ruin.

She was a _teenager_. Why her?

Shaking her head, she sat up and pulled her phone from its charger to check the time and the weather. It looked like rain, and she wanted to avoid Kamoshida’s castle, so that meant she’d have to get up and go now instead of later. Which meant no time for curry for breakfast.

She could do this. She had before.

* * *

Akira hummed as she walked past the school gates and up into the building, she was on time and had avoided running into Ryuji. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, to not meet Ann or Ryuji and be happy about it, but she _had_ to avoid trouble this time around. At least for now. Besides, if she planned this carefully, she should be able to also meet Makoto and Haru sooner rather than later. She even already had a slight idea on how to meet Yusuke, but for the time being she was confined to Yongen-Jaya and wouldn’t be able to do anything until Sojiro let her out.

Walking up the stairs, she hummed and pocketed her phone as she gracefully stepped past Kamoshida and Kobayakawa into the teacher’s lounge, on her quest of seeking out Sensei Kawakami. It was nice to be in the woman’s company once more, as the Temperance Confidant had helped her out so much before. She was also anxious to help out her favorite teacher with her troubles, but currently she couldn’t just blurt out her knowledge over the woman’s plight.

She was quiet as she listened to the rules, and politely introduced herself to her homeroom classmates when she was instructed to. Once more she was sitting behind Ann, and she smiled at her once friend. The girl still stuck out like a sore thumb, but she knew how bubbly and bright the girl could be… watching her shoulders slump as she fidgeted sobered her happiness however.

She sighed as she thought over all that began the Phantom Thieves; Kamoshida’s lechery, Shiho’s attempted suicide, the sexual harassment of Ann, the sexual assaults of the female volleyball members and the physical assaults of the males. She knew it would all begin soon, but she really needed Morgana before she went anywhere _near_ the Metaverse—how she was supposed to manage that, she wasn’t sure. 

She needed some type of help in this. She needed a bit of chaos to disrupt Yaldabaoth, something like a wild card beyond her own abilities. Not that she knew where to start. And she refused to go near Akechi without the others. 

She was immensely grateful for the end of school bell, fully feeling as if the day had dragged on for eternity as her mind kept circling and spiraling. Her thoughts had been like an ouroboros, eternally moving in a trapped circle and chasing her own tail. On the plus side, she’d not attracted any attention, nor were there any rumors concerning her in the halls. No wary or fearful looks, and no one seemed to know that she was a delinquent. She hoped that, for Mishima’s sake, no one would find out such things; at least not before she’d made friends with Makoto or Haru and they’d be there to tell her not to pummel the boy into nothingness.

Tilting her head at her own spiraling thoughts, she sighed and stepped onto the train to Shibuya. There was so much she needed to do, and her mind wouldn’t stay focused on just one task—it was slowly beginning to drive her insane.

Shaking her head, she pulled out her phone and played a small tapping game until the train reached its station. It didn’t fully turn off her thoughts, but it helped ease some of her stress.

* * *

Shibuya was busy—busier than normal—when she stepped up from the underground and into Shibuya’s Central Station to make her line transfer. Sighing, she turned and made to ignore the large crowd, when she was suddenly tugged backwards by Arsène and her eyes shifted to Joker’s as Succubus suddenly appeared before her.

_Look, darling. Use him for your problems, darling._

Blinking, she righted herself and listened to her two Personas, gently moving through the crowd and coming to a sudden stop upon seeing the reason for the overly large crowd.

There, in the very center of the square stood Shido Masayoshi, looking as immaculately put together as always, dressed in a crisp white shirt under a pitch black suit with his designer shades. A vein in his throat kept throbbing ever so often, and as her eyes scanned the open space within the mob, she finally found the reason _why._ There, in the middle of the storm stood the airhead reporter that always seemed ever present, never doing anything besides reporting echoes of nonsense and annoying the train goers with her mindless babble.

_He can help. Make him a Confidant, darling._

Succubus cooed in her mind, brushed familiar hands down her soul and she fought back a shiver. Succubus was a creature built on sex and sexuality, and Shido was a man driven by ambition, arrogance and—at least in her last life—his libido. But what her Persona was suggesting was playing on the man’s sins, and her moral compass was already skewed off course, could she really afford to shatter them and create a hot mess of herself?

**_I can feel the opportunity of a Confidant in him, Akira._ **

Arsène’s voice echoed softly in her mind, giving his acceptance of this insane scheme. She didn’t even have a _plan._ She didn’t know what she could offer the man that he didn’t already have, nor was she sure there was anything her once-enemy could offer her.

_You can offer him your body and mind, while he can give you information on the government: the people in the shadows. Not to mention funding._

Succubus cooed again, as she began to move along the crowd, trying to get closer to Shido and the airhead reporter. She didn’t like the idea that Succubus proposed—she wasn’t for sale, _and_ she was a virgin. She’d been a virgin last life, and she’d truly planned to stay one for a bit longer in this life as well. It’s not like she’d even know what to do. Besides, there was no reason for her to believe that Shido’s sins were as debauched as Kamoshida’s.

_I’ll guide you, darling. And you’re not technically a child, are you? You’re mentally closer to eighteen._

She hummed as she found a place within hearing range of Shido and the reporter, tilting her head as she thought over Succubus’ words. The Shadow had sought her out, reforged their bond, and was now trying to give her answers to the questions and worried that she’d been chasing since she woke up that morning.

Her Personas had never really interfered with her life before, they’d never offered help or given advice to any of their plans, but they’d always bolstered her. This new interaction may be new in the form of it, but not in the act itself. Still, the question remained: could she make a deal with Shido and gain a Confidant from the man? Was it even possible to find different or new Confidants?

She watched Shido as he stood with a thin lipped smile, answering the woman’s questions with near perfect responses, adjusting his stance as the crowd grew around him. Every so often he’d subtly check his watch, or try to excuse himself from the woman’s ever growing inane questions, but no matter what social cue he gave, it was ignored. She could see the vein in his throat throb every-so-often, as well as a point in his temple begin to twitch in his growing annoyance.

**_If you rescue him from this, it will give you an opening._ **

Arsène’s voice echoed again, with advice and yet she didn’t really know just _what_ to do with it. For one thing, she was still in her uniform and it was extremely recognizable as belonging to Shujin, and Sojiro may very well kick her out—or kill her—if she’s seen on TV with Shido.

**_Intern._**

She blinked at Arsène’s voice offering what now seemed like the most obvious solution.

She was suddenly thankful for having already started the habit of carrying a bag of hair ties and clips in her school bag for the girls in her last life as she shifted into the crowd and pulled her long curls up into a ponytail and then into a twist before clipping it in place. Moving back through the crowd, she buttoned her blazer, adjusted the creases of her skirt, and pulled two curls out to frame her face. It was easy to imitate Makoto and Haru’s grace, along with Sae’s authority, as she stepped out of the crowd and made her way towards Shido and the reporter.

“Shidosama!” She stopped just out of range of the camera, and bent carefully to give a respectful bow to the man, completely ignoring the reporter as she stood back up and plastered a sweet and innocent smile on her face. She held the best poker face after all. And acting came so easy to her, after all their heists and playing innocent for an entire year. This was simple child's play, but it still gave her a thrill to play and with that thrill, Joker came out to indulge in the fun. “You are going to be late for your meeting if we do not leave soon. Traffic is still backed up and slow moving from the train derailment yesterday, sir.” She added another bow, this one more apologetic.

“Ah.” Shido’s voice shifted through the air after a few beats of silence, and she stood up to carefully adjust and stand as if she was patiently waiting for him. To play at being his intern was truly a stroke of genius, and if this ploy truly helped him escape this, he would owe her a debt. A debt that she could and _would_ use to form a Confidant bond with him. She was still squeamish at the thought of trading her body and sex for information, but she also couldn’t deny that it wouldn’t be an immense coop to gain him as a Bond in her Tarot arsenal. “Thank you for reminding me.” Shido shifted then, and placed a hand on her lower back as he bowed in apology to the reporter—an action she imitated—before standing back to his full height. “My apologies, but my intern is quite right. I have many meetings left in my day, and while this has been immensely pleasant, I sadly must return to my work. Please excuse us.”

She followed Shido’s lead as the reporter apologized and bowed, and they walked through the crowd towards a beautiful—and painfully familiar—black limousine. A security guard opened the back door for her, and she easily glided into the back as she waited for Shido to slide in beside her—just as it began to rain again.

She wanted to look around the limousine, to take in the high quality interior, and she briefly allowed Joker’s Second Sight to grant her vision of any possible bugs, sources of danger or even treasure, but upon finding normal things, she switched back to her natural sight and turned to look up at Shido. His dark mahogany eyes danced with interested and curiosity as they looked her over through his orange tinted sunglasses. Tilting her head, she noticed how the tint lessened within the enclosed and darkened space of the limo; perhaps they were transitions?

“I find myself in your debt, to help me out of that. But I can’t help but wonder just what you want of me in return.” Shido’s mind was as shrewd as always, and she hummed. This was the difficult part, she still felt she was out of her league with this plan, and she was expected back to the café before nightfall.

“If you have the time, can you take me home? I have a curfew, but I will explain my offer on the way.” It was her best bet. It would mean that she would possibly still be late getting back, but she had to take this opportunity. She wasn’t one to let a high risk gamble escape her, and this was definitely high risk and high reward. Her best heist if she could accomplish it.

“Where to?” Shido questioned after a few quiet moments, and she couldn’t resist the small smile she allowed to show when Succubus purred and Arsène laughed in triumph.

“Yongen-Jaya, Shidosama.” She gave her home district, and waited for him to instruct the driver, before he raised the silencing divider between the back and the front. She briefly wondered how many other women Shido had previously had in the back of his various cars, but just as abruptly shook the thought from her mind. If she thought such things, she’d lose her nerve. 

They were quiet for a few minutes, as the limo shifted away from the curb and pulled out into traffic, but after a few more beats of him studying her, she felt his left hand shift and lightly run his fingers down her cheek. Turning her head from the window, she raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in question at Shido. Curiously, she flickered Second Sight back up and hummed as she could just lightly make out the blurry form of Samael. Blinking, she shut off the vision, and focused on the man beside her. He was still highly dangerous after all, and she held no real power within the Shadowverse just yet, so this would need all her real world energy and attention.

“You’re a lovely little thing.” Shido’s voice was low, but that same oddly melodic tenor. It definitely sounded better in this tone than the arrogant preening or drunken slurs that she’d heard before. “How old are you?”

“I’m eighteen, sir.” She answered him, and it wasn’t technically a lie.

“I see.” Shido hummed, then tapped the ‘2’ pin on her lapel, and she almost cursed. “An eighteen year old junior?”

“Almost eighteen, sir. I have an odd birthdate and my mother was intent on homeschooling me when I was young. It translated oddly when she finally enrolled me.” She huffed out an annoyed sigh, as if she explains this everyday. She hopes he’ll accept the explanation and let it drop.

“I see.” Shido hummed again, and she watched as he leaned back in his seat, watching her intently. “What’s your name, and why did you assist me?”

“My name is Kurusu Akira, sir. And I helped you in the hopes you could perhaps help me in return.” She was taking a huge gamble with this, but the more she thought over Succubus’ suggestion, the more she could see the pros in this becoming a Confidant Bond. She still wasn’t sure what Tarot the man would possibly be, or how this would work since he had a Shadow, but she would trust her Personas.

“I’m listening, Kurusuchan.” Shido was still watching her, with that small smirk on his face, and she wondered if it was the only facial expression he had.

“I know you are a politician planning on running for Prime Minister, and I would like to learn speechcraft and politics from you. I’m greatly interested in where this country is going, where it is being steered, and if…” She faltered, thinking over Shido’s keywords, his massive Yacht Palace, and also of the faceless man that existed in his place in her memories of her false assault charge. She could feel the ghost of the man’s hands on her, hiking up her skirt and ripping her shirt before she got her strength back and sent him sprawling on his ass. His words had been of a level that made Shido look like a saint in comparison, and he’d spoken of secret dealings behind Shido’s own. Sighing, she shifted and turned in her seat to face the man before her. “If I even want to put my support in our government anymore.”

She could tell him the truth, or at least part of it. “Last year, near August, I was sexually assaulted in my hometown by a politician and what he spoke of left me angry. I don’t know his name, and I don’t remember his face… but I want my revenge. I want to find him, rip apart his career and see him disgraced. You are the only person I know that can grant me such things.”

She waited, knowing her face was slightly warm in her anger and fully aware of how her rising chest kept catching Shido’s attention. He was listening at least, if he wasn’t, she would’ve been interrupted and let out of the car. “I don’t have much that I can offer you, Shidosama… but…” She placed a hand nervously over her stomach, trying to fight back her butterflies and nerves. “I’ll offer you my body to train as you please, if you in return, teach me politics and help me find the man that ruined my life.”

Having said her peace, she waited with baited breath. Watched Shido carefully as he shifted and thought. No muscles were tensing in anger or annoyance, and so she didn’t feel any physical fear, just her nerves going haywire. She was pulled from her thoughts as the car shifted, and she looked out of the window to see them moving from the streets to the connecting highway towards Yongen-Jaya. She really hated Tōkyō traffic. 

“You obviously are uncomfortable with the idea of selling yourself, Kurusuchan. So why offer it?” Shido’s voice was still level, but held a curiosity.

“Because it’s all I have, and whatever else I may fear, I do not fear you hurting me. Especially not in the way my assaulter had tried to. I’m a virgin, I’m a fighter and I’m on a path for revenge. I’m asking you to stand with me, instead of against me.” She supposed, in a way, that was what this boiled down to: her asking for one less enemy to fight in this game. Besides, Succubus had a very good point: they needed the extra help.

“Very well, Akira. You have a deal.” She blinked at him as he spoke the words and she felt a Confidant Bond form.

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow…_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the **Wheel of Fortune** Persona_

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_Shall lead to freedom and new power…_

“Thank you, Shidosama.” She smiled at him, and allowed herself to relax as the stress and nerves fell away from her.

“Just Shido.” She blinked at his words, but slowly nodded. Smiling softly, she nodded at him and hummed as they fell into a comfortable silence as the driver lowered the divider and asked just where he was dropping her off. 

Before she slipped out of his limo, she pulled her phone out and offered it over with a ‘new contact’ screen opened for him. “So we can stay in contact. Number and chat ID, if you have one, that is.”

“I do, but I will admit I do not use it often.” He typed in his contact information, and handed the phone back to her with a small smile. “Keep that information safe.”

“Don’t worry, I know how to keep a secret.” She smiled at him, allowing her storm gray eyes to flicker and shine with trouble, then moved and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Shido.” She slid out of the limo then, and after adjusting her skirt and bag, turned and made her way into the district proper. She was happy to be going home after the long and exhausting day that she’d endured. Even if it had ended productively, she was still emotionally drained and besides, she was _hungry._

* * *

She didn’t _exactly_ escape the rain, even with her umbrella, but she wasn’t drenched as she walked into Café Leblanc. She smiled as the smells of coffee and curry enveloped her, welcoming her home. “I’m back, Sakurasama.” She greeted him as she carefully tapped her shoes on the welcome mat and bowed in greeting to him. She wanted to come off as respectful as possible, to build their Confidant Bond up faster; she also wanted to speak to Futaba soon, and hopefully save the girl from herself, but both of those things depended on her getting Sojiro to like her.

“Welcome back.” Sojiro replied, and she couldn’t keep her small smile from showing. Sojiro was the first adult to truly care for her safety, even if he was the most guarded. Even Iwai wasn’t as salty and prickly as Sojiro could be—though she’d _never_ say such a thing to the ex-yakuza. “You aren’t too badly drenched.” Sojiro smirked at her, and she tilted her head curiously, wondering what he possibly found amusing. “Have you eaten yet?”

As if on cue, her stomach growled— _loudly_ —and she fought back the embarrassed flush that threatened to crawl over her cheeks. Sojiro chuckled at her, and she hummed as he waved her upstairs. She knew what the gesture meant: go change and then return to eat.

She made sure to hang up her uniform over the blue tarp, to keep any water from the floor, and quickly changed into a comfortable pair of black and red yoga leggings, her black ankle boots and a long-sleeved, black t-shirt. Grabbing her phone from her bag, she stopped and stared at the still open contact for Shido. He’d given her his phone number and his chat ID but nothing else, and had saved it under the innocent name of ‘Masa’. It was truly the safest way to keep him unknown from a quick glance, but if anyone with nefarious intentions got ahold of her phone, it would end badly for them both. Frowning, she once again thought over Futaba, and of how much she could use her little sister’s help.

**_She will return to us soon._ **

Arsène’s voice hummed in her ear, soothing and comforting her fears and worries. She wasn’t entirely sure on how right he was, but it did serve to pull her from her circling thoughts. Focusing back on her phone, she tapped on the chat ID number and opened a chat with Shido.

 **Akira:** I’m home safe.

It was short and simple, but it would give him her information and open a discussion between them. Pocketing her phone, she finally walked back down to the café and smiled in thanks at Sojiro as he placed a plate of curry and a cup of coffee on the counter for her. “Itadakimasu.” 

She’s sitting at the counter, watching the news on tv with Sojiro when her chat notification buzzed and she shifted slightly to pull her phone from her legging pocket. Unlocking her phone, she smiled at the screen.

 **Shido:** Thank you for letting me know.

It was short, but she wasn’t really expecting a novel from the older man. This is new, after all, and she’s not exactly one of his normal conquests. Pocketing her phone again, she moved from her perch on her favorite stool and carried the dishes to the sink. “Do you want me to do these for you?”

“Oh?” She turned to see the confused smile on Sojiro’s face and giggled at the shocked expression. “If you want to.”

* * *

It’s a few hours later, long after Sojiro has gone home, and she’s finishing up her homework, that her phone chimes and pulls her focus from her work.

 **Shido:** Can you talk?

She hummed and bit her lip as she stared down at the message, the uncertainty from earlier in the day making a reappearance and causing her to fidget.

_Darling girl, he’s interested. Keep him close._

She huffed at Succubus’ cooing, but still moved to put up her books and shifted so she was comfortable in bed, stretched out on her futon before she pulled up Shido’s number and called him.

It only rang for a few minutes before the phone clicked over and Shido’s soft timbre echoed down the line. He sounded tired in the way he sighed before ever actually saying a word to her, and she frowned slightly as she felt her heart go out to him in sympathy.

“Shido speaking.” He sounded exhausted, but also annoyed, and she couldn’t fight her frown. It wasn’t exactly anger, or aggravation creeping into his tone, but she could feel something dark under the surface of his carefully measured words.

“It’s Akira.” She kept the greeting simple. She knew when to play, and from his tone, she could tell that this wasn’t one of those times. Besides, she didn’t know him well enough yet to even know how to tease him, what boundaries not to cross when being playful, or even how he liked to banter— _if_ he even did such a thing.

“Ah.” A sigh escaped him then, and she felt her heart skip in shared misery with the way he seemed to deflate; as if he could let down a wall or two since it was her. “Can you talk? I would like to discuss our deal.”

“Yes, I can.” She replied as she stretched out more on her futon; it wasn’t the most comfortable and she had to squirm a bit to find a sweet spot—she would need to ask Sojiro for a new mattress soon. “What did you wish to discuss?”

“Your availability.” It was a reasonable question, one that even she wasn’t entirely sure of. She was still confined to Yongen-Jaya after dark, so she wouldn’t be able to leave, and there was absolutely no way that Sojiro would allow Shido over or up into her room—nor was she currently willing to do so now that she thought about it. Once she found Morgana, the cat would insist on her sleeping regular hours, and then there would be trips to the Metaverse. She would also need a few part time jobs as well, to fund their weapons, armor and medicines.

“Most things in my life appear day-by-day, but currently I am not allowed to leave my residence after a certain time of night. I’m hoping I will be given free reign soon, however.” She didn’t want to go into who her guardian was just yet, nor did she want to go into the many confining rules of her probation. “I don’t have many extracurriculars just yet, though. So I’ll mostly be free on weekends.”

“Hm, I see.” Shido hummed, and she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she waited patiently for him to continue speaking. “That is limited. But I understand the confinement.”

“I’m sorry I’m not able to see you more often, I just moved to Tōkyō and my guardian is hesitant to allow me to be out in the city after nightfall.” She explains to him, her voice soft and slightly huffy as she thinks over how trapped she suddenly feels. She can’t even blame Sojiro, as he’s truly doing his absolute best for both her and Futaba’s wellbeing.

There’s a stretch of silence between them, as she hears him shift and the various sounds of him moving carry down the phone. The sound of rolling wheels, possibly of his desk chair, catches her attention and she can’t keep from wondering if he’s still at the office. Looking at her phone for the time, she frowns harder as it’s well after nine pm.

“Are you _still_ at work Shido?” She understands the need to work, and how many hours a politician puts into his career, but he still needs to sleep. With how physically fit he is, she’s honestly surprised that he would be so lax with his own well-being.

“I had a late night.” Shido’s voice is low, pitched differently to hide the exhaustion but she’s trained her hearing for too long to miss it. Just as she’s about to nag him, and argue the point of needing sleep to keep doing his job properly, his voice cuts her off. “I looked into your case for you.”

Shido’s words make her blink and she slowly sits up. She hadn’t been able to get her case file last time, no matter how hard Futaba had tried, and so she hadn’t even thought of looking for it, nor of asking him to do so. Her shock faded quickly, however, as she realized what else he was saying: he knows she’s a delinquent and on probation from an assault charge.

“I didn’t lie to you about what happened, Shido.” Her voice has dipped into Joker’s lower tone. Her hackles raised and ready to fight.

“I didn’t say that, Akira.” Shido’s voice was calm, and she fought back her irritation as he hummed. “I understand how easily the police can be corrupted with enough money from the right people. I’ve seen that fire in your eyes, it makes the storm within your gray eyes rage, like a tempest out at sea. You said that you pushed him off, and you are still a virgin, but also that he ruined your life. I was curious and so I looked up your case. I have my own connections within the justice department.”

Running a hand through her curls, she fought back the fear worrying that he meant Akechi, and instead pushed past it. Since he’d done the work, she could still use the information. “And? Anything?” She was a little pushy, a bit desperate, but that was to be expected. She had her entire world upended because of this asshole, and she strongly suspected the shift in things was in some way tied to Yaldabaoth. If Shido could truly grant them access to such highly guarded documents that even Futaba’s skills couldn’t reach, then this deal would truly be her biggest score yet.

“The name is removed from the documents, no matter where I look, it doesn’t exist. But for this show of power and degree of corruption within the police and the courts, your attacker must be someone very powerful. Possibly on my level within the government or higher, a businessman, someone with strong ties to the underworld, or is a member of the judicial system itself.” Shido huffed as he spoke, and she muttered a few colorful cuss words at the news. That was too wide of a pool to go fishing in. “If you wish to find your target, you will need to improve your charming skills.”

“I’m aware.” She growled out, allowing her frustration to show. It was a bigger mess now than it had been last time. At least that time around, Shido had been her enemy and had spoken clearly on set goals; she had _nothing_ to build on this time. Sighing, she ran a hand through her curls again and tugged lightly. “Thank you, Shido, for looking into it for me.”

“You are welcome, Akira.” His voice cut off then, as the sounds of a stifled yawn was filtered. “My apologies.”

“It’s ok, Shido. You should get some sleep.” She felt her heart twist as it once again went out to him, and she stifled a giggle as he fought back another yawn. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Alright. Sleep well, Akira.” She hummed as he hung up, only to yawn herself. Shido was apparently going to be patient zero of a yawning epidemic. Chuckling to herself, she moved and placed her phone on its charger… on her Home Screen, there sat a blood red app icon in the shape of a forbidding eye.

It seemed like tomorrow would be when she’d meet Morgana then.


	3. To Awake In Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuesday, April 12: Akira has an unpleasant and unwilling trip into the Metaverse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW/TW: The state of undress that Akira wakes up with in Kamoshida’s Castle is not indicative of rape/noncon; it is an act done to weaken her to the ill effects of the distortion. Read with caution if this may cause any issues.

She’d forgotten how heavy Morgana could be, but she also refused to let the cat out of her sight—or arms—now that she had found him. _Especially_ after her day long trip into the Metaverse.

* * *

* * *

_April 12  
_ _~ Tuesday - 10:00 PM_

She wasn’t entirely sure _how_ she had ended up within Kamoshida’s Castle, but from her severe migraine, she could only assume she’d either been hit extremely hard at some point, or she had possibly fallen hard enough to give herself a concussion. The last thing she _could_ remember however, was walking down the stairs of the main building at school as she headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Groaning, she slowly sat up and braced her head in her hands as she tried to stop the spinning. She wasn’t truly sure if she’d tripped and fallen, but it would explain the gap in her memories, and she honestly wouldn’t be surprised with all of the rain and water being tracked through the school.

“Ooh! You’re awake!” She blinked slowly at the sound of the high and whiny voice, and slowly looked up into the eyes of the Cognitive Ann. “You’ve been asleep all day!”

Shifting back and away from the cognition, she flung out a hand behind her and stopped at the feeling of tacky faux fur under her palm. Slowly, she looked down at herself and felt her temper snap at the sight of her bare skin. In an instant, she felt her anger flare up inside her and suddenly everything was engulfed in a blue fire as Arsène rose from her soul and yelled in pure rage; after him flew Succubus, who quickly flew off to search for her things. Standing from the bed, she took a step towards the cognition and allowed her Joker smile to shine.

As the alarm abruptly sounded, she cursed at the sight of the stronger Shadows that suddenly surrounded her. She didn’t have the strength or power to take them all on, nor could she perform a hold up on them all on her own. This was bad, terribly bad. It didn’t help that her coattails and mask wouldn’t appear, or that her mind was still so terribly foggy. If what the Cognitive Ann has said was true, that she had slept the entire day, that very likely meant that she had probably missed school and more than likely was drastically past curfew; it would also explain why she was so sick since she would’ve spent several hours unconscious and with no defense against the warping powers of the Metaverse—and she severely hoped that her clothes were gone due to the lack of protection against the Metaverse and not from Shadow Kamoshida touching her. She didn’t feel violated, there were no mystery touches, bruises or substances on her but she would still _slaughter_ the Demon of Lust if she ever found out the pervert had touched her.

The Shadows approached her then, and she briefly heard Succubus scream in pain—obviously caught—but she stood her ground. She’d faced a God—several times over in fact—and besides, Samael had been so much more terrifying than these weaklings. Her mind was growing foggy, however, and she could feel Arsène’s flames weakening as Succubus screamed again. Swallowing, she searched her soul and tugged at her bonds with her Personas, wishing she had a few more to survive this. The Shadows were getting closer, Arsène was fading, and she would swear she could hear the painful sounds of leather ripping as Succubus’ voice echoed shrilly and painfully through the room.

Suddenly, just as she was feeling her fight fade out, she could feel the bond to Shido flare and her knees buckled as her strength finally gave out, but the timing of Samael appearing couldn’t have been better. The last things she heard were Shido’s voice through his Shadow, and then the very welcome voice of Morgana as he suddenly burst into the room from some entryway or another— _so_ much fatty tuna would need to be bought for her furry savior.

She doesn’t know how long it’s been since she passed out, but she’s still in the Metaverse with Samael’s cape draped over her, Succubus wounded and sitting up on his shoulders, and Arsène is wearily hovering nearby. Leaning over her is a concerned Morgana, and she suddenly understands Futaba’s habit of pinching the cat’s cheeks, because she sincerely and strongly wanted to right now.

“What happened?” Her head was still foggy, and as she sat up she could see Arsène ripple and almost fade out.

“You passed out, but your Personas and I saved your butt.” Morgana preens out of pride in answer. “But now we need to move.”

She moved slowly, leaning heavily on Samael as she tightly holds his cape around her as they walk out of the boundary lines of Kamoshida’s Castle Palace. Morgana guides her out of the Metaverse, and she collapses as soon as they hit the small alley that serves as the safe zone between the two worlds. It drives her insane that she’s actually naked in the real world, but she’s incredibly thankful that Samael’s cape stayed around her shoulders even as he and her Personas disappear. Tugging it tight around her, she fights back a sob, and briefly registers that it smells like Shido’s cologne.

“Your phone is buzzing.” Morgana spoke up then, pulling her from her haze. She tightly pulled him to her, and tugged her bag to her side. Thankfully, her uniform was shoved inside along with her phone and all her things—she would have to thank Succubus later for finding it for her. Pulling out her phone, she sniffled at the sight of all the missed calls and chat messages.

Unlocking her screen, she nuzzled into Morgana’s fur for comfort, and opened her chat app.

 **Sojiro:** Where are you?   
_3:00 PM_

 **Sojiro:** Are you ok? Where are you?   
_7:25 PM_

 **Sojiro:** Please answer me. I’m worried about you.  
 _9:00 PM_

**Shido:** How are your classes today?   
_10:00 AM_

 **Shido:** Do you have time to talk during lunch? _10:10 AM_

 **Shido:** There was an accident on the underground again. Respond.   
_3:00 PM_

 **Shido:** Akira. Where are you?   
_3:30 PM_

 **Shido:** Akira. Answer me. Now.   
_8:00 PM_

She sniffled again, snuggling tighter into Morgana, thankful when the cat meowed and nuzzled her back. No matter how much he would argue and protest to being called a cat, he still loved the attention and would nuzzle back if being held and loved on.

 **Alibaba:** I hacked your phone. I’m contacting you for Sojiro. Where are you? Why aren’t you home yet?   
_3:15 PM_

 **Alibaba:** Please tell me that you weren’t on that train.  
 _3:30 PM_

 **Alibaba:** I keep losing and finding your location. It shows and doesn’t show. Where are you?!   
_4:00 PM_

 **Alibaba:** Please reply.   
_4:28 PM_

 **Alibaba:** Kurusu Akira! Answer your phone!  
 _10:00 PM_

She backed out of her chats, and tapped with shaking hands over to her phone app. She had a total of 100+ missed calls from Sojiro, Shido and Futaba—the last one would make her proud if she wasn’t so exhausted. Checking the time, she sniffled again and hugged Morgana tighter to her. It was 2:00 AM. She blinked as a drop of rain hit her cheek, and pulled her bag under the cape as she pulled up Shido’s number and hit call. She shook slightly as she waited for it to pick up, and she fought back a sniffle when it finally clicked over.

“Akira.” Shido’s voice was rough and course, as if he hadn’t stopped speaking all day long. But that wasn’t truly surprising with the news of there being yet another trail derailment, as well as the _many_ voicemails the man had left. “Where are you? Where have you been?”

“I… I’m by my school. Shujin Academy. Can you come and get me?” She was running out of strength again.

“I’m on my way.”

* * *

* * *

As she said before, she wasn’t letting Morgana go after the day she’d had, even as they both laid curled up in the middle of Shido’s bed and her consciousness was steadily slipping from her as Shido’s voice faded from her hearing. He was talking to Sojiro, but she couldn’t make out the words.

Yawning, she curled around Morgana a little tighter and finally allowed herself to fall asleep.


	4. Parachute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wednesday, April 13: Akira wakes up safe and sound back in the realm of human reality, and has a few interesting conversations.

_April 13  
~ Wednesday_

Waking up in an unknown bed, in an unknown room and in a shirt that wasn’t hers was _not_ conducive to nursing her migraine, especially as she bolted upright as soon as her foggy mind caught up to her surroundings. Everything swam before her eyes, and she tried to steady herself as she once again tried to sit up and put the missing pieces of her memory together. There was a slight familiarity to the touches of cologne hanging in the air, but she wasn’t well enough to contemplate it just yet.

“Hey.” She blinked then, trying to focus her eyes on the black comforter as a _very_ familiar voice broke in through the fog. Slowly she raised her head and gasped as her eyes fell on the extremely welcome sight of Morgana sitting on the bed beside her left foot. “You’re awake.”

He didn’t seem agitated, though she could tell from his voice and the look in his eyes that he was concerned and worried over her, but the lack of alertness helped to calm and soothe her worries. If she was in danger, Morgana would tell her—and he wouldn’t calmly be sitting beside her right now. She knew for a fact that he could and _would_ fight tooth and nail, even in cat form, to protect a damsel in distress.

“You’ve been asleep for a very long time. Though I’m confused on how your Persona can look like a human.” Morgana spoke softly, and she couldn’t resist the urge bubbling up in her chest to reach out and pinch his cheeks. She didn’t do it for long, as he yeowled and complained far too loudly for her migraine, and instead she tugged him to her chest and lovingly hugged him to her chest.

“Thank you so much for saving me.” She whispered to him, scratching behind his ears as she carefully moved the blankets from her and stood. She still didn’t put him down however, as she moved around the room and carefully opened the door to the bedroom. Outside was a long hall, furnished in surprisingly warm earth tones, and she could faintly smell coffee—as well as curry—and hear the soft cadences of voices speaking quietly. “I’m Akira.”

“I’m Morgana.” The cat purred and she shifted him into just one arm as she raised her other to glide her fingers lightly along the wall as she walked. She wasn’t in Sojiro’s house, and she didn’t know _where_ she was exactly, but she was beginning to recognize the voices she was hearing and the cologne she smelling; she was at Shido’s most likely, and from the smell of the curry, so was Sojiro.

She was just passing another closed door, closer to the open space she could see at the end of the hall, when the door opened and she came face-to-face with Futaba. The girl was in a long sleeved t-shirt, with her long cargo pants on and was pulling an army green hoodie on and with her giant Noh mask in one hand and a clutch bag in the other, when her attention shifted and her red eyes looked up into Akira’s own storm gray ones. She smiled softly then, and stepped backwards to give the recluse some more space. She was immensely thankful when no scared or startled screaming sounded from the girl, and shifted Morgana again to wave shyly at the younger teen. 

Slowly, Futaba blinked and her eyes registered recognition and worry before she softly smiled and adjusted her glasses. “Hi. You feeling better?”

She would forever be grateful and would forever love this girl. Nodding slowly, she smiled and finally moved to set Morgana on his feet. “I am. You are?”

“Oh! Sakura Futaba. I live with Sojiro. Shido found you passed out near your school. We woke up the neighborhood doctor to look you over, but she said you were just suffering severe exhaustion, dehydration and a concussion. We tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t budge.” She was surprised at how much information Futaba gave her, especially as she could see the girl’s hand holding her mask twitching. “We’re at Shido’s apartment. Sojiro is cooking lunch.” With that last part said, she smiled fondly as the girl pulled on her mask and walked back into the bedroom where she’d woken up.

“She slept in there with you on the couch. She stayed up mostly reading though.” Morgana’s voice drifted up to her and she nodded in thanks for the further clarification. After a few minutes, Futaba walked back out of the room holding a bundle of what she assumed to be Akira’s own clothing.

“You should dress. I’ll wait here.” She took the bundle from Futaba then, and stepped into the bathroom she’d just left. She couldn’t help her chuckles as the sounds of Futaba’s soft giggle filtered through the door as a muffled “kitty” and then Morgana’s complaining could be heard. She dressed quickly—as quickly as she could without getting dizzy—and stepped back out to the hall. She waited for Futaba to put the clothes back in their borrowed bedroom, and then followed after the girl into the open area at the end of the hall.

The open space was an open floor plan, a large living room that was separated by a half wall from the large kitchen and a dining room that connected on the other side of another half wall. In the kitchen stood Sojiro and Shido. Sojiro was at the stove cooking, and Shido was leaning against the counter, both quietly talking until they stepped in and Futaba’s voice caught their attention.

“Sojiro, I _hunger._ ”

* * *

She’s in Shido’s library when he finds her sitting on the window seat and curled up with one of his books and propped up against a few borrowed pillows, with Morgana on her lap. She senses him before she sees him, and she can feel as Samael wakes up and follows their Confidant Bond back to his human self. It is very odd to think of a Shadow behaving so similar to a Persona, and yet at the same time acting so strangely. It’s something else she wishes she understood about the Metaverse, and she finds herself wanting to speak to Lavenza and Igor about it. Setting a bookmark in her place, she shifted her gaze up to Shido and shyly waved.

“Hi.” It’s odd, being here in his home like this and not due to their deal. It’s honestly awkward, since he told Sojiro about being her Sugar Daddy—a term that she doesn’t really like, but sounds so much better than if Shido had told her guardian the exact nature of their relationship and their deal. It was weird, watching the two men work together, but as they talked Futaba had pulled her mask off and began to stiflingly socialize. The smaller girl had stayed tucked into her side, but when Shido had begun discussing Wakaba’s recipes with Sojiro, Futaba’s eyes had gone wide and began to pester the other man for details on how he knew Sojiro and her mom.

“Hello there.” Shido hummed in reply, gesturing for her to scoot and she slowly moved forward, careful of Morgana asleep on her lap, and sighed as Shido sat on the window seat behind her before stretching out his long legs beside her and pulling her back to his chest. It wasn’t loving, possessive or smothering, and she was thankful for that as she shifted and relaxed back against him. “How are you feeling?”

She hummed as one of his hands carded gently through her wild curls while the other traced over her arm. “Still exhausted.”

“Will you be ok?” Shido’s voice was the same soft rumble he’d shown her the other night, and had kept all day. She was beginning to grasp that his public speaking voice was pitched to carry further in a crowd while also holding more authority; it was a good tactic and she could see the benefits from mastering voice modulation.

“I will be.” She answered and leaned more into his broad chest. He was _muscled_ , something she had expected from Samael, but it was still interesting to know that he actually held them and it wasn’t entirely figments of his mind. “I still don’t know what happened, but I wasn’t hurt. It… I think I fell into another world?”

“Why do you think that?” Shido’s voice is steady, and the way his voice rumbles in his chest is slowly lulling her to sleep.

“I woke up in this hazy world, and a castle was in place of the school.” She frowned as she paused, trying to think of how to bring up the Metaverse and Cognitive Pscience without sounding as if she already knows what it is, and without sounding like she knows that _he_ knows what she’s talking about.

“Do you mean like Cognitive Pscience?” Futaba’s voice made them both jump, and she fought back a giggle as the redhead chuckled even as Shido lightly growled in annoyance. She’d actually somehow forgotten Futaba's ability to sneak anywhere and everywhere, but now with the reminder, she wouldn’t forget again any time soon.

“Cognitive what-now?” She questioned and chuckled as both she and Shido shifted their legs, one of Shido’s hands bracing Morgana on her lap as the poor cat woke up at once again being jostled, allowing Futaba to perch like a frog at their feet. She folded her legs, bending them softly at her knees to allow Futaba to lean against her.

“Cognitive Pscience, with a P- in front of science.” Futaba’s hands moved with her as she began to explain, and she softly chuckled when her attention was pulled away from the girl as Morgana batted at Shido’s hands for real estate claims of her stomach, before pulling her attention back to the genius girl before her. She smiled as their eyes locked, sharing an amused sparkle at the two males lightly fighting over her—she knew from experience that the look in those red eyes meant Futaba was filing the incident away for later usage. After a minute of chuckling, she playfully batted at Morgana and entwined her fingers with Shido’s and gestured for Futaba to continue. “Cognitive Pscience is the study and exploration of a cognitive world. A world normally unable to be seen by human eyes, but it exists beside ours all the same. If you somehow fell into this cognitive world, and saw a castle instead of your school, that likely means someone views the school _as_ their castle. You’re lucky to be alive.”

She blinked, thinking over what she already knew of the Metaverse, of Cognitive Pscience and everything else she’d learnt last time. It added a little extra padding to her knowledge, but knowledge alone wouldn’t give her strength in the Metaverse. She would have to return soon. “It’s possible? I would have to find it again to be sure.”

“You’re not going back there.” Shido’s voice is cold, and his grip on her hand briefly tightens before loosening. “Not if a trip results in you being so sick… and _especially_ not if it results in you coming back out undressed.”

“Yeah, that’s the bit I don’t understand either.” Futaba’s voice added in, and she smiled as the girl leaned and swayed side to side as she draped herself over Akira’s knees.

“That was actually from the… Cognition. I _think._ ” She hoped it was the Cognitive Ann and not anything else that had touched her. She hadn’t been harmed, and there was no trace of her having been touched or violated, but the thought still unnerved her. “I woke up really sick and dizzy, like I was exhausted and my eyes hurt. Perhaps exposure without protection to the world pulls you in?”

“You need a mask and your conscious mind to protect you from the distortion of Palaces. Without that protection, you were being pulled into the Palace. If you hadn’t come to, and I hadn’t found you, you would’ve been lost to that world.” Morgana meowed at her then, and she hummed as she pet the brilliant cat with her free hand.

“Perhaps?” Futaba hums at her question, and she smiles as the younger girl sways again. This was one of those moments when Morgana’s knowledge supplemented Futaba’s own, and she hummed at the reminder for when Ryuji and Morgana would inevitably argue again. “But you shouldn’t go looking for this place on your own. Especially not while you’re still recovering.”

“I won’t until I’m better. But I feel like I can’t just walk away from this. Not now.” She would be returning, with Morgana, as soon as she was cleared to return to school.

“Uh uh. You’re not going on your own. I’ll go with you.” She blinked then, and lifted her head from Shido’s chest to look at Futaba. The girl’s gaze was solid, and she knew from the look that this was non-negotiable. Slowly, she nodded and smiled at her. “You’ll be my key item in this world, and I’ll be your parachute in that world.”

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow…_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the **Hermit** Persona _   
  
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_Shall lead to freedom and new power…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Do not think that Futaba is suddenly cured—she’s not. When outside stressors push you enough, you can have a break from your own demons. Her recovery will still take place; and as proven in-game, when push comes to shove, Futaba tends to push back.


	5. The Return of a Caring Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thursday, April 14: Akira returns to school after recovering from her impromptu trip into the Metaverse, and her simple day ends in pleasant surprise as she makes a new (old) friend.

_April 14  
~ Thursday_

Dr. Takemi visited early Thursday morning to once again look her over, and despite being fully used to the doctor’s homemade concoctions, she _still_ is blindsided by the taste and the gut punch from the energy and stamina boost from the medicine.

“You’re doing much better.” Takemi hummed as she looked her over. “You are extremely healthy, other than the last signs of exhaustion. You can return to school, though I would make today a half day. And no strenuous activity.”

“Yes ma’me.” She replied and smiled softly at the woman. Dr. Takemi had been one of her friends in her last life, and now with her here, she could feel the Death Arcana tugging at her Confidant Bond again. Humming, she gratefully accepted the medicine bottles and the paper with her instructions. “When I’m better, can I help you with anything? As a way to thank you?”

She smiled as Takemi blinked in shock and then slowly smiled. “I would appreciate that, Kurusuchan.”

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow…_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the **Death** Persona _

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_Shall lead to freedom and new power…_

* * *

It felt a little more like coming home as she walked into school with Morgana in her bag for her afternoon classes. She smiled softly as she listened to Morgana complaining about how he wasn’t comfy in her bag, and moved carefully up the stairs on her way to the teacher’s lounge in search of Sensei Kawakami.

She allowed herself a smile as Kawakami stood and her shoulders fell with relief at the sight of her. “Kurusuchan!” Kawakami calmed, briefly, before stepping to her and smiling softly. She looked exhausted and stressed, and Akira frowned in worry over her favorite teacher. “It is good to see you. When Sakurasan called that you’d collapsed from stress and exhaustion, I was admittedly worried over your health. It is good to see you have recovered.”

She could feel her old bond with the Temperance Arcana humming under her skin, and she smiled at the woman as she gave a small bow. “Thank you so much for your worry over me.” She stood up slowly, and pulled the notes from Takemi and Sojiro to hand over to cover her missing days. “Here are the formal letters explaining my absence, Sensei Kawakami.”

“Thank you. Are you returning to school?” Kawakami questioned and she nodded. “You are just in time for afternoon classes then. Come along.”

She’s walking down the stairs again, careful of them, when Ann’s voice calls down from behind her and she keeps walking only to have her feet once more on solid ground as she waits for Ann to catch up to her.

“Hey! Kurusuchan! Are you ok?” Ann’s blue eyes are full of worry and concern, and she can’t help but smile at the care within the blonde’s heart. “You disappeared Tuesday and weren’t here yesterday, and Kawakami said you were just sick, but I was still worried. You look tired today, but you looked fine Tuesday and I’m just worried about you.”

“I fell down the stairs Tuesday when a dizzy spell hit me, and I went to my doctor. She diagnosed me with exhaustion and stress from the move to Tōkyō from my hometown and only just cleared me for classes this morning.” She smiled as she moved to lean against the wall, idling tapping her foot on the floor as she explained. Being so close to Ann, she could feel the Lovers Arcana humming and reaching out to Succubus, seeking out their old connection. It kind of tickled to feel Succubus playfully and lovingly tugging at the dormant Carmen within Ann’s soul.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Ann’s voice was soft, and she fought back a giggle as the girl swayed in place. The habit was cute and endearing. “I’m glad you’re doing better now. Does this mean that you won’t be participating in the volleyball tournament?”

“I don’t think so, but I’ll have to check with my doctor to be sure.” Smiling, she kicked herself away from the wall and adjusted her bag in her shoulder. It was a bit awkward, since Shido had refused to let her leave his house without taking one of his coats, so she had less motion of movement as she shifted Morgana and the bag. “I was going to go grab a late lunch. Would you like to join me, Takamakisan?”

“Oh! Yes please! If you don’t mind my company.” Ann smiled at her and they fell into step as they began to walk out of the school building together. She smiled as Ann followed her onto the train and she pulled out her phone to open her chat app to her thread with Futaba.

 **Akira:** Hey, I’m bringing a classmate over to Leblanc with me. 

**Futaba:** Should I hide?

 **Futaba:** Oh, btw: Shido stopped by earlier and redecorated your room. Sojiro gave permission but beware a lot of red and black up there now.

 **Akira:** Takamakisan isn’t terribly loud or too much, but she’s very bubbly. Hiding is up to you.

 **Akira:** I’m perfectly fine with a black and red color scheme to my room. Just as long as a new futon is involved.

She smiled down at her phone as she thought over Shido redesigning her attic. She had wanted to manually redo it all again, but if the man wanted to help, she wasn’t going to argue. _Especially_ if a new bed was included.

“So where are we going for lunch, Kurusuchan?” Ann asked and she smiled up at the bubbly blonde as she was pulled from her thoughts.

“There’s a café in Yongen-Jaya called Leblanc that I like. The owner makes a delicious curry and an amazing coffee.” She answered the blonde and chuckled as Ann’s eyes grew wide and she happily bounced in place. She was still laughing when her phone buzzed in her blazer pocket and she pulled it out.

 **Futaba:** Your SD is here again

 **Futaba:** He’s hiding from idiots in the Diet  
**  
Futaba:** He and Sojiro are discussing politics and I’m so lost. I didn’t know Sojiro paid attention to anything.   
**  
Futaba:** I’ll admit he’s handsome and has a nice voice, but why are you with him?   
**  
Futaba:** I’m down in the café doing these dishes for you. You’re welcome.

She chuckled at the near word vomit coming from Futaba, and shook her head. The girl was shy until she wasn’t, and at that point anyone not prepared should hide.

“What’re you laughing at?” Ann questioned, and she smirked at the way Ann twitched, obviously trying to keep herself from tilting sideways to peek over her shoulder at her phone.

“My guardian’s daughter is blowing up my phone. She was initially very shy but now she’s a nonstop fountain of sound.” Ann giggled then, and she smiled as the train pulled into the station. “You’ll actually meet her if she doesn’t hide. My guardian is the owner of the café, and I live above it.”

“Are you up here for school?” Ann questioned as they walked off the train and through the station platform to the back alley entrance.

“Yeah. Also a possible political internship.” She hummed as they weaved their way through the crowd and out into the back alley near the café—she truly loved that shortcut. “Speaking of politics, my guardian—Sakura Sojiro—is friends with Shido Masayoshi and I ask you to not swarm Shido. Ok?”

She stood still, just outside the door of the café as Ann’s head tilted and those sky blue eyes studied her, taking her in and doing that odd thing that all the Thieves were capable of: making a person feel as if they were seeing their very soul. She was by far the best at it, but Ann and Makoto followed behind her as close seconds, and now was one of those times where she wasn’t exactly thrilled about the fact. She tried not to fidget or swallow as their eyes stayed locked and continued their stare down.

“Are you… pressured to be with him?” Ann’s voice is soft and hesitant, but also cold and protective. It warms her heart, and she finally blinks as she relaxes.

“I’m not being pressured. Sojiro would kill him—consequences be damned.” She smiled then, and turned to the café door before pulling it open and stepping inside. “I’m back Sojiro!”

She smiled as she walked into the store and her eyes fell on the broad shoulders of a jacketless Shido. The Cabinet Minister always looked good, but currently he was to the point of distraction; his suit jacket was off and he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he leaned against the counter talking with Sojiro. His glasses were the same orange tinted shades, though they were off and resting folded on top of a closed book next to his coffee cup. Her attention was pulled from Shido’s figure as Ann gently poked her side.

“You’re staring.” Ann smiled softly at her, and she shook her head to dislodge the distracting thoughts before she stepped forward to the counter and lightly rested her hand on Shido’s shoulder. A soft greeting, and a ploy to catch Sojiro’s attention.

“I’m home, Sojiro. I brought a friend over.” She smiled and gestured over her shoulder to where Ann stood by the door.

“Hello!” Ann’s voice was a happy bubble, and she chuckled low under her breath as the sociable girl began to introduce herself and babble to Sojiro. With them both distracted, she turned slightly to Shido and shyly mouthed ‘Hi’.

“Hello there.” Shido’s low timbre was back, and she relaxed at the sound of his relaxed voice. It still felt like some secret glance into his soul when his voice drifted and stayed in what she was quickly growing to suspect was his natural speaking voice. “You made a friend?”

“Mmhm. She caught me after classes to ask how I’ve been. She was worried when I disappeared.” She hummed as she moved and softly placed a kiss to his cheek. “She won’t say a word. I promise.”

“I hope not.” Shido hummed then, and she tilted forwards as he ran a hand down her side. “Do you have free time this weekend?”

“All yours.” She answered and shifted as Morgana popped out of her bag to rest his front paws up on her shoulder. “Well, and Morgana’s... I might have promised him attention.”

“Heh. I see.” Shido chuckled and she smiled at the purring noise Morgana made as Shido scratched his favorite spot behind his left ear. She never would’ve guessed that Shido was a cat person, but she was pleasantly surprised at the discovery. It made a lot of things easier for her since she almost always had the cat with her. “I’m sure something could be arranged.”

“Thank you.” She pulled away then, as her stomach growled and Shido chuckled at her. “I’m going to eat and then Ann and I will be studying upstairs with Futaba. I need help with math and I’m hoping Futaba will know.”

“Good luck, Akira.” Shido nodded as she pulled away, and she fought back a shiver as his hand subtly trailed down her spine.


	6. Unwavering Attention in Midnight Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday, April 15: Shido picks Akira up from school, and they have a few interesting and insightful conversations. To her surprise, she finds herself actually enjoying his company and the lessons learnt from his insights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: There is explicit sex in this chapter, though I’m not terribly sure how explicit others may find it as I’m not very talented or secure in my abilities to write smut. With that said, I believe this to be well enough to publish. I hope others find it to be so.

_April 15  
~ Friday_

Shido picks her up from school on Friday, and she can’t say she’s upset to avoid the train delays as yet another derailment has occurred. It’s not a good feeling though, to know that so many people were injured and killed in yet another accident. It’s painful to think over how she knows that it is Akechi causing the nervous breakdowns, and how she has acquired a sickening worry in her soul that Shido is requesting or ordering the attacks. She fears it, despite other things in this life being different, that he still is behind it all. But she can’t find her voice or the courage to ask such a thing—at least without sounding like she was accusing him of something.

“You’re far away from me.” Shido’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she registered his hand on her cheek. Shifting, she moved her bag and Morgana to the floor, before scooting and curling into his side. Being this close to him, she could feel Samael humming across their bond and hovering just under Shido’s skin. It’s odd to be aware of the Shadow and even odder when the being acted like a Persona. She still didn’t know _how_ the Shadow had appeared that night to save her. “You’re still far away from me.”

Sighing, she lightly nuzzled Shido’s shoulder and chest before pulling back enough to look up at him. His red eyes looked tired, and there were fine stress lines showing at the corners of his eyes. Reaching up a hand to his neck, she gently massaged and kneaded the tense muscles. “I’m worried and stressed over these accidents.”

“You and everyone else.” Shido sighed, his muscles relaxing under her touch. “I don’t want you on the trains anymore. I will give you a car and driver.”

She blinked at the statement, her hands falling from his neck in shock. It was a sweet sentiment, and she slowly nodded. “Can I pick the car? I don’t want it to be too small if I’m out with friends… is that ok?” She questioned softly, unsure as she asked and was shifted into his lap. The way he could lift her was interesting, and she could feel Succubus’ sudden interest buzzing as warmth pooled in her lower abs. She felt her face heat with the action and she wasn’t entirely sure if the heat to her face was embarrassment or a low starting arousal.

_It is arousal, darling. You’re both stressed. Ease his stress, darling. Open up to him and grant him access to your most sacred parts. I’ll guide you._

She shivered as Succubus’ lust filled voice cooed in the back of her mind. She wanted to squirm, so unsure and unsteady on how to act in this situation. She still wasn’t afraid, but this wasn’t a game she was used to playing, and so she was honestly and severely off balance.

“I’ll let you choose two to keep.” Shido’s eyes darkened, and she stifled a small gasp as one of his hands slowly ran down her side. “Can I have you?”

She can’t hide her blush at his blunt words, but the arousal building in her abs is a warming and guiding force. It’s not that she doesn’t want to, or she feels pressured, he _did_ ask… “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Relax, Akira. I won’t hurt you, and I’ll stop if you ask.” Shido’s voice is calm and low, soothing her worries and insecurities. Succubus was humming excitedly under her skin, and she tightly held onto the warmth coming from the Persona.

“Ok…” She nodded slowly, jerkily and blushed deeper as Shido’s eyes darkened a little more, his pupils dilating as he slowly ran a hand down her chest. Closing her eyes, she lightly squirmed in his lap and gasped at the feeling of his hard cock in his slacks. The whimper that escaped her lips caused her blush to deepen, and she resolutely tried to ignore the amused giggling from Succubus.

She shivered as Shido shifted her in his lap, sitting her sideways and allowing her legs to stretch out over the back seat of the limo. His right arm wrapped around her back, resting on her side and carefully bracing her; his left hand trailed over her chest again and she shivered. She curled into his chest, her left hand tightly gripping his left bicep as her right gripped her skirt. Her nerves were going haywire, and she could feel butterflies in her stomach, the sensation nearly drowning out Succubus’ excited humming.

Shido’s hand ran down over her chest, slow but sure, and the calm confidence in the gesture made her nerves settle. She shifted in his lap and curled into his more as her muscles relaxed; his hand ran over her chest again, down her stomach and over her hip to her thigh and then retraced the path back up to her neck and into her hair. Succubus was humming and moaning into their connection, trying to feed her excitement into the loop of the bond, but she resolutely batted her away and tugging at Arsène to hold the other Persona at bay—she wanted to experience this on her own, without the sex demon’s influence.

“You can say no, deal or no deal.” Shido’s voice was low and husky, but soothing as his hand moved to her waist and kept tracing mindless but calming patterns through her turtleneck and into her skin.

“Thank you, I’m just nervous.” She shifted in his lap then, moving how she was sitting and curled into him more. She was also acutely aware of Morgana nearby in her bag, and knowing how sentient and cognizant the cat truly was, felt more than just a little self-conscious. “And, a bit self-conscious being in a car and Morgana being stuck in here.”

“You and me _both!”_ She heard Morgana whine, and she chuckled at the pitiful sounding meow that came out of him.

“Ah. Right…” Shido chuckled and she fought back a giggle at Morgana’s complaining whine. “I forgot that you carry him with you everywhere.”

“He keeps me calm.” She hummed as she admitted the very clear truth and shifted from Shido’s lap to sit next to him. She kept curled into his side, the butterflies and curling warmth still in her abs making her not want to stray too far away from him.

“Do you have a change of clothes with you?” Shido questioned softly as he kept up rubbing soothing patterns into her skin. She wasn’t sure if it was something actively done to calm her or if it was a subconscious action, but either way she found it soothing and didn’t want him to stop.

“I brought a bag with my pajamas and a set of clean clothes. I don’t have too much.” She sighed, thinking over how few things she was able to pack in her box to ship here. When Shido had redecorated the attic, Futaba had kept the box safe from accidental dumping, but the contents of it had fit in all of three drawers in the beautiful black wood dresser that Shido had furnished her with. “I was only allowed one box to pack things into.”

“Hm. I see.” Shido’s voice was cold and guarded, causing her to frown and squirm in his light grip to look up at him. She blinked as he looked down at her, his red eyes still dark with lust but also now holding a thoughtful look. “I should take you shopping.”

Not expecting the comment, she blinked and pulled back a bit from his hold. Thoughtful, she frowned and considered it. There wasn’t a lot of room in her attic for a lot of clothes, but having more than three outfit possibilities _would_ be nice. “I don’t have much room to keep things, but it would be nice to have a few more outfits…” Thinking over the slight uncomfortableness of her current bras—and her lack of wearing them _due_ to being so uncomfortable—she hummed and nodded before continuing her train of thought, “I also could use a few new bras; mine are so uncomfortable I just don’t wear them, I just layer a tank top under my shirts.”

“Noted.” Shido hummed then, and she watched as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “I will take you shopping before getting us some dinner. You can keep extra clothing and things at my home. I have a large enough closet, and half of it I do not use. If you wish.”

“Thank you, Shido. That would be… amazing.” She smiled then, truly grateful over his offer and shifted to kiss his cheek in gratitude over him. She knew he didn’t bend so easily, and it was hard for him to let his guard down, so she greatly appreciated him trying. “You are the best.”

* * *

It is truly ironic that after shopping Shido takes her to the expensive and elaborate buffet from the hotel that marked the place where the Phantom Thieves truly formed in her last life. She’s still obviously a teenager, and she does still get a few nasty looks from several people in the restaurant, but considering the high quality and expensive clothing she has on, she sincerely doubts it is because she is young and more to do with the current company she was keeping.

Shido had taken her shopping, and she’d admittedly stared in awed shock for several minutes before she’d shaken it away and followed after Shido through the store. Casual clothing had been purchased first, with several pairs of nice jeans and skirts, a few pairs of heels, boots and sneakers, then good fitness clothes, a winter coat and a spring coat. After that, he’d directed his driver to a very expensive lingerie boutique, where she’d been custom fitted for casual to elegant lingerie and now owned several cute bras with matching underwear sets, a few corsets and a few nice sleep dresses. The shopping trip had ended with them in another nice boutique, and she’d been fitted for several dresses until she found a style that she liked. One of those dresses was what she was currently wearing and while she was quite comfortable in it, with her beloved red and black coloring, it was the hidden black and white corset paired with the black and white diamond studded butterfly clip in her hair that kept her fully aware of her posture and appearance. 

She’d chosen Shido’s colors to represent a unified front, aligning herself with the man across from her to anyone that cared to pay attention to them; but now, she was unsure if she’d done a little too much in selecting the hair accessory. The lingerie wouldn’t be seen by anyone other than Shido, and it was a surprise that she sincerely hoped that he would appreciate, but the knowledge she was wearing it was beginning to make her itch under all the staring and soft gossiping that was floating around them.

“Ignore them, Akira.” She blinked as Shido’s voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her attention back to him and breaking the spiraling spell of her growing doubts. “They are jealous of you being here with me, and while they should be, you need not listen to them as they know nothing of you nor is us. Let them gossip, what we know is what is important, nothing else.”

Sighing, she reached forward and sipped at her chilled sweet tea, thankful for his words and nodded. As he spoke, she could feel their bond growing stronger, and she hummed as her social skills grew in level.

“Thank you for that, Shido.” She smiled at him then, and hummed as he relaxed slightly and nodded. They were sitting in a nice, private booth away from the center of the crowded restaurant, giving the illusion they were alone and she had noticed that despite sitting with his back to the wall he was still tense and observant. He had brought them here, but she could tell he wasn’t comfortable with the crowd. A few tables away his security guards were sitting and lightly eating even as they stayed alert and watched the other guests. Humming, she shifted in her seat to reach across the table to lightly grip his hand in hers. “You are safe here, no one can reach you. I’ll notice.”

“Not to sound condescending, but you are eighteen, Akira.” Shido didn’t let go of her hand, instead his hand shifted within hers and began to lightly rub his thumb over her knuckles. His eyes were dark again, but not with lust like earlier in the afternoon, instead it was a darkness bred from a lack of control and fear of that loss.

“I promise you that I’ll notice.” She kept her soft grip on his hand for a little longer, as her eyes stayed locked to his and she hummed at the feeling of their bond growing stronger. “Focus on me, Shido.”

“I’ve been focused on you since we met, Akira.” His eyes shifted to the lust fueled dark red again, and she smiled as the tension fell away from his shoulders. “You are an enigma and a wild card, entrancing and curious. I doubt I will ever truly know every mystery hinted at in your storm gray eyes, and yet I still want to explore you, to figure out how you work and bury myself into you. Sexually and intellectually, I can tell you will keep me wrapped around your finger. Normally I would balk at such a thing, but I find myself drawn to you, perhaps against my better judgement, and yet I do not care. You _always_ have my attention, Akira.”

* * *

Akira hummed to herself and Morgana as she sat in the middle of Shido’s bed, contentedly petting and playing with the happy cat as she tried not to listen in on Shido’s phone conversation despite his voice carrying into the room from his office, the illusion of privacy was a matter of trust, and not something she wished to ruin.

“Are you going to sleep with him?” Morgana questioned as he looked upside down at her from how he laid out on his back, playfully batting at her hands as she tickled his stomach and showered him in love.

“Mmhm.” She hummed in reply, looking up as she heard Shido’s voice drift closer and smiled at the sight of the man leaning on the doorframe with his cellphone to his ear as he mouthed an apology to her. Shaking her head in understanding, she smiled and waved at him. She understood work and needing to be quiet. Besides, him working a bit longer gave her more time to shower Morgana with love and affection as she fought back her nerves.

After their talk over dinner, she felt far calmer and more trusting of Shido and the low burning in her abs that had begun hours earlier in his limo was back and slowly smoldering to life. She felt far more sure of herself and having sex with the older man, to the point that she was actually comfortably sitting in the middle of his bed in nothing but her white and black corset along with a matching pair of bikini style underwear as she played with Morgana before he would inevitably be shooed out of the bedroom. Morgana had assured her that he didn’t mind it, especially since when they’d walked into the living room he had found a plush pillow as well as his own blanket sitting on the lounge seat of the wraparound couch, but she still felt a bit bad for him being locked away from her.

“Do you love him?” Morgana questioned as he rolled over onto his side and twisted up to look at her. 

“Uh uh… not that kind of relationship.” She hummed to the cat as she bent forward to whisper into his ear. He had been upset at having been left in the limo while they shopped and ate dinner, but as soon as she’d presented him his own platter of fatty tuna, he’d forgiven her and had stayed glued to her side since. Morgana had been keeping up a running commentary as she sorted through her new purchases, deciding which outfits she would be taking home with her and which she would keep here, before losing his attention when his eyes caught on the ribbon of her corset and after that he’d been mostly playful and only randomly asked questions.

“Then why?” Morgana’s eyes were wide and curious as he watched her, and she hummed before looking back up at Shido. He was still leaning in the doorway that separated his bedroom from his home office, only now he was dressed down to just his slacks and his shirt was open to reveal his bare and muscular chest, and despite being so dressed down and relaxed he still looked entirely in his element. Her head tilted slightly as she watched him, tugging on one of her curls as she contemplated her answer to Morgana’s question.

“Because I like him.” She whispered in answer as she leant over Morgana again and ruffled his fur. “Shido is someone that I can learn from, and I’m honestly just drawn to him.”

“I will not keep discussing this with you, Akechi.” She blinked suddenly as her hearing zoned in on his conversation at the mention of the Detective Prince, and she quickly sat up wide eyed as she watched Shido’s relaxed posture shift into annoyance. Arsène was also suddenly on high alert and she fought back his awareness and anger at the mention of the traitor. Blinking, she reigned in her emotions and tilted her head curiously as she kept listening to and watching Shido.

“Who’s Akechi? What’s wrong?” Morgana questioned as he rolled and sat up, head butting at her hands for more pets even as his voice filled with worry and concern over her sudden shift in mood. She lightly shook her head, not trusting herself to speak as she kept her attention on Shido.

“I’m done discussing this tonight, what I do in my spare time has nothing to do with you. Mind your place.” Shido snapped in anger and she frowned as he hung up the phone. He had been relaxed until the conversation or the call had shifted from work to Akechi, and she frowned at the change. Humming, she sought out their bond and gently followed it to Samael, seeking out the Shadow and checking on him. Feeling him as strong as ever, she nodded to herself as she shifted to sit up straighter and focused back on Shido.

“Shido? Are you ok?” She pouted slightly, watching him as he moved back into his office and she listened as he sat his phone down on his desk—and she assumed on a charger—before he walked back out and shut the doors dividing the rooms. “What’s wrong?”

She had a guess that whatever Akechi had said concerned her, and while she didn’t give a damn over what the Detective Prince thought of her, but she _did_ care about what it was currently doing to Shido.

“Just an acquaintance that doesn’t know what a private life is.” Shido answered as he walked over to the bed and leant onto it as she tilted her head up to look at him. She smiled softly as she leant into his touch as he ran a hand through her thick curls. “Ignore it, Akira. I plan to.” She gasped in shock and let out a moan when his lips touched hers, her hands going up to his wrist and chest as she arched up into him. She whimpered softly into the kiss as she shifted on the bed to sit up fully on her knees, moving and arching up to meet him with a deep kiss back into him as his hands began to run over her body. “Morgana… shoo.”

She chuckled as he broke the kiss to order Morgana to leave, and she smiled as she watched the complaining cat walk out of the room, the whining noise he made in reply to the order making her giggle. As Shido moved back to her, she hummed and reached up to lightly massage at his neck muscles again. She still had no idea what she was doing when it came to sex, but her nerves were gone now and in their place was a low burning need for the man before her.

* * *

The lights were off, but Shido’s movements and attentions on her needed no light to guide him as he moved over her, slowly stripping her of her lingerie and kissing every revealed inch of skin as he moved and slowly worked her up. Her hormones were building up to a burning rage, her arousal soft and slow but holding her grounded and serving to keep her nerves away with each and every kiss that he placed to her skin. Under his ministrations, she was wet and squirming for more friction and touch despite his wandering hands tracing paths over her arms, breasts, down her sides and thighs and then back up to her neck, cupping her face in his hands before pressing another heated kiss to her lips before pulling her in an arch up from the bedsheets and running a hand through her thick raven and midnight curls. Her hands constantly flit between his skin, tracing over the muscles in his arms, down his pecs and over his abs before her shyness catches her off guard and she’d lose her nerve as her eyes locked back onto his. His eyes were dark red, and despite the room being steeped in darkness, she could still faintly see them as her senses adjusted to the pitch black and her body became acutely aware of every touch on her body and movement in the space around her.

Normally she was a quiet person, used to blending into the background and hiding in plain sight, but tonight her voice is getting more use than she’s ever possibly or consciously let out over the span of two lifetimes. The noises Shido was pulling forth from her started off small, with light gasps and moans as he kissed over her and explored her body, finding what her body reacted to most and going slow as to not scare her, but _now_ she was loudly gasping and moaning, squirming under his touch and nearly screaming in shocked pleasure with every brush of his tongue over her clit and core, or—as he had worded it: eating out her pussy. He was _gifted_ , as least Succubus was swearing to it; the Shadow was on a blissful loop and kept moaning and whimpering in the back of her head, singing Shido’s praises and driving both her and Arsène a bit insane with her constant word vomit. After the umpteenth keening noise from the sex demon, she had slammed the doors on their connection closed and resolutely refused to open it again until this night was over. She didn’t care if she didn’t know what she was doing, there was no longer that small insecurity of needing to perform, she had given it up when Shido’s lips had first latched onto her nipple.

She was ripped from her mind again, pulled away from her wandering thoughts as two fingers suddenly replaced Shido’s tongue in her pussy and _stretched_. She squirmed with the sensation, pulling away from him as another shocked and pleasure filled scream ripped from her throat. She whimpered and moaned as she moved slightly away from him, her hands flying to his shoulders and pushing even as she rocked her hips and spread her legs wider for the man settled between her legs. She was wet, and according to Shido, _pouring_ with how aroused she was. With every new word from his sinful mouth, she grew redder and more flushed with a mixture of arousal and embarrassment, but she had yet to ask him to stop. Not in his touch, kiss or his words; it was all like one blissful loop and she was pleasantly caught on repeat.

She squirmed and whimpered again as the fingers in her stretched and pushed in past his knuckles, filling her as much as they could, helping to prepare her to take his cock—a thought she was still nervous over, but desperately longed for all the same. As his fingers brushed a new place inside her, she arched up from the bed and let out a new sound that she didn’t know how to even _begin_ to describe, but Shido’s arm wrapped around her waist again and held her back to him before he moved up and over her. His lips touched hers, passionate and demanding as he licked her lips asking for entrance and she gave into it, opening for him and moaning into his mouth as his tongue plundered her in tandem with his fingers stretching and playing her pussy. She gasped and whimpered as she pulled away from the kiss, needing to breathe as that _noise_ escaped her again as she felt yet another finger push into her and stretch her further.

She arched and squirmed as she sobbed from the pleasure and clung to Shido’s shoulder; honestly, she wasn’t sure if she was pushing him away or pulling him closer to her. Her body was a tight coil, winding up tighter and tighter and she was beginning to feel like she was something fragile that could and probably _would_ break at any moment. As the feeling heightened, and Shido trapped her right leg under him, using his weight to keep her still, she squirmed and as her nails dug into the muscle of his shoulder, screamed as she was suddenly flooded with arousal. Her body felt like a live wire as she arched up from the bed in what felt like an unnatural backwards bow as she screamed and her body stilled, as if she’d been paralyzed. She could feel her pussy get even wetter, her thighs wet as she fought to squirm against the fingers still working her over. Shido was whispering words in her ear again, sinfully dirty words explaining exactly what he was going to do with her perfect little body, and as much as hearing them caused her to blush again, she couldn’t find it in her to squirm away from them. 

“Fuck.” Shido’s voice was low and husky as he kissed at her neck, “You’re so vocal, and so perfectly fuckable. Such a perfect little pussy, so tight and just begging for a cock to fill it up.” She squirmed at his words, as his fingers inside of her brushed against that little bundle of nerves again, causing her to cling to him and let out another scream. She was going to be immobile come morning, and would probably look like a leper with all the hickeys he’d covered her with. Her breasts and neck were covered—and she could feel his teeth lightly biting around her nipple into her breast again, causing her to arch up into his chest and _moan._ Every movement and touch from him cycled between gentle, soft, and guiding, to just borderline rough, sure, and pushing her past her nerves. She’d yet to find something to tell him no over, and he’d spent the entirety of his attention on her finding what made her body sing the loudest in response to his touch. “So sensitive. Such a perfectly fragile little doll, so porcelain and yet so fiery. Your eyes and moans are _intoxicating_ to me, Akira.”

With his words at her ear again, she whimpered once more and let out a gasp as his fingers moved from her pussy to play with her clit. Near sobbing from the _too sensitive_ sensation, she finally batted at his hand and curled up into him. Her throat was too raw to even think of speaking, but she pulled him down with her free hand into another kiss and whimpered. The noise was softer, more delicate than her other sounds, and she sighed as he relaxed against her, his hand shifting to rub over her side and stomach. It was the same soothing motions from when they had been in his limo and he’d asked her for this, and the touch helped her body relax and calm from the high strung and paralyzed feeling she’d been stuck in.

She moaned again as she felt Shido shift over her, he was moving her to lay flat on her back, his hands tracing over her body as they kept kissing, and she allowed his tongue to plunder her mouth more. She enjoyed this, not being in charge or needing to lead, to not think a million steps ahead. Being with Shido, laying under him with her hair splayed out beneath her, her chest heaving and her legs spread in open invitation, her mind ceased its worrying and she just allowed herself to simply _be_ and _enjoy_. “Can I fuck you?” Shido’s voice was rough and husky, low with wound tight pleasure, and she hummed as he lightly pressed his forehead to hers. Moving, she lightly nuzzled him before leaving a soft peck to his lips before finding the last traces of her voice.

“Please do.” She hummed and whimpered as he kissed her again, hard and passionate before she felt his legs shift between hers and a hand on her hip moved down to her inner thigh to spread her legs open for him. She let him move her, allowing him to manhandle her body and position her how he best saw fit for this. She could feel her nerves bubbling back up within her, but she resolutely ignored them in favor of calming her breathing and following the feeling of his hands over her again. They were lightly kneading her breasts, and she could feel her pussy getting wet with arousal again, causing her to whimper and rock her hips seeking friction. Moaning, she gasped and lightly squirmed. “Shido… _please_.”

As of waiting for her plea, she felt him move and press his cock into her pussy, causing her to arch and cling to him. It was tight, pinching and she felt _oh so full_ ; it was more filling than his fingers stretching her open, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. Moaning, she squirmed as he stayed still, allowing her body to adjust to the unfamiliar intrusion and she forced herself to breathe. When he finally moved again, pressing fully and flush into her, she keened and arched up into that seemingly unnatural backwards bow again. She could feel his cock throb inside of her pussy, and she felt so full, almost too much so. She shivered and curled into his chest as he once again stilled, and soft words of comfort filtered in through her raging heart, calming and soothing her as her body adjusted to his cock and began to throb with a need. Squirming, she finally and lightly rocked her hips, wanting friction from him once more. 

She moaned as he eased her flat on her back before changing his angle inside of her and pulled out just enough to make her miss him before pushing back into her, causing a shocked gasp to escape her at the blinding sensation of pleasure. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations as Shido began to move in her, finding a rhythm he seemingly enjoyed—if the ease of it said anything—and she moaned again as it relit the fire in her veins. She wasn’t one to move a lot—something Shido said shocked and amused him—but she just didn’t know what to do, and so she really just stayed still and lightly squirmed or clung to him as she allowed her voice to tell him if she enjoyed what he did to her or not. If she stayed quiet or too still, he would change his attention or the pressure, but if she began to gasp, moan and whimper, he would latch on and study her responses until he had her screaming and squirming from the pleasure. Having his cock buried deep within her was turning out to be no different, as he moved her legs and shifted his angle, his speed and the roughness of his rhythm fucking into her pussy.

She wasn’t to the point of squirming again, but little whimpers and hyperventilating gasps kept escaping her as he explored her reactions and discovered her tells. Soon, he was fucking her fast and deep, with one of her legs held up over his hip and the other spread open in a lewd position, as if she was on offer for him—and she was loving it. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she moaned and whimpered, her hands tightly gripping into the pillows above her head—a position that had him suddenly fucking her harder and faster, causing her to arch up and she _screamed_.

Shido’s cock was rock hard and _oh so pleasurable_ as he fucked her pussy hard, fast and _rough_. Soon she was gasping and fighting to catch her breath as the unrelenting pleasure had her screaming nonstop. She didn’t know _what_ exactly he did, but suddenly she was screaming and perfectly arched up into his chest as her body went into that paralytic feeling once again and she was grateful as he lifted one arm from his brace on the bed to wrap around her slim body and hold her up to him. She wrapped her arms up around his shoulders as she squirmed and _sobbed_ at the _too much_ pleasure as he kept fucking her; he was less rough with her now, but still driving into her hard and fast and she clung tightly to him as another of those _strange_ noises escaped her mouth and she sobbed as she felt his cock actually _throb_ inside of her pussy at the sound. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, nearly drowning out the sound of his low moans and another string of sinful words that had her blushing once more.

She was soon squirming again, writhing beneath him as her nerve endings began to misfire from the sensitive sensations becoming too much. Her throat was raw and she sobbed as another scream ripped from her throat as her nails dug into his back as she desperately clawed at him in a bid to grip onto something as he began to erratically pound into her, perfectly hitting that little bundle of nerves in her pussy and making her scream the loudest she had all night.

“Fuck.” Shido’s voice was rough, low and husky, fueling the heat in her stomach as she felt her body coiling tight again. “I can feel ya tensing, gonna make me cum.” She gasped at the words, and at the abrupt appearance of his apparent Kansaiben—it was cute—she would have to ask about it later. “That’s it, cum around me, cum on my cock.”

She squirmed and clawed at his shoulders again as he fucked her faster, chasing their mutual climaxes. She was screaming again, and her body was a tight wire, about to break and sever anything fragile in her path. “ _Masayoshi_!” She screamed again, this time his name, as she came _hard_ and felt him follow her over, fucking into her erratically as he spilled inside of her. Gasping, heaving, she clung to him and whimpered as he laid her back onto the sheets. She was biting into her lip, trying to calm down, and not entirely wanting to let him go… but she was becoming exhausted and sleepy. Through the haze, she could feel him pulling out of her and she briefly let out a soft but defiant ‘no’ as she reached for him.

“I’ll be back.” Shido’s voice was soft, and she briefly let out a sleepy whimper in light protest. She could lightly hear him moving around, the sound of water running, and then the warm feeling of a cloth over her skin before she was shifted and finally drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: There is no place in-game that it is stated that Shido has a Kansaiben dialect (Kansai accent), but as I personally enjoy Kansaiben, I thought adding this touch would humanize and endear him a little more to Akira.


	7. Something in the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April 16, Saturday: Akira learns a little more about Shido, a bit about politics, and spends the afternoon with Futaba and Morgana within the Metaverse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: There is more explicit sexual content in this chapter, taking place within the last scene, it is shorter than the previous chapter however.

_April 16  
_ _~ Saturday_

She’s not sure how much time has passed when she wakes up, but Morgana’s soft batting against her nose and his quiet, “Hey! _Heeyy!!”_ , is enough to rouse her from sleep. Even through the darkness of the room, she can tell if it is early morning, _and_ that Shido isn’t in bed with her. Sitting up slowly, and keeping a sheet pressed to her bare chest, she frowns into the low light slipping into the room from the hallway, and can faintly make out Shido’s voice trying to stay quiet despite the obvious underlying temper.

“He got the call about twenty minutes ago, and has been quietly yelling ever since.” Morgana offers in the way of an explanation and she frowns as she covers him with the comforter before moving from the bed and slipping to the walk-in closet to grab one of the robes that Shido had insisted she buy. It’s silk and a soft down cotton, warm and gentle against her agitated and sensitive breasts. Morgana meows and whines from under the cover, and she’s just slipping out of the bedroom door towards the living room when he catches up to her.

She motions for him to stay still as she hides against the wall before turning the corner into the open floor plan, activating her Second Sight to ensure no one else is present in the house before she lets the skill fall and slips quietly into the room. Shido is sitting on the couch talking on his phone, wearing nothing but black pajama bottoms and his glasses, with a laptop sitting open on the coffee table before him. He looks stressed, and despite seeing her as she steps in and shyly waves at him, his low speaking voice doesn’t change and she moves to sit beside him to briefly—carefully—lean down and press a kiss to his cheek. His free hand only lightly brushes her stomach and side, fleeting instead of lingering, and she can tell whatever is being discussed has upset him from the simple action. She motions for Morgana to stay by Shido as she walks to the kitchen to make coffee and toast before walking back and curling into his side after she’s set the nutrient providing food and drink carefully on the table for him. He shifts his phone from one hand to the other as she settles next to him, and she hums as his now free hand lightly rubs her thigh through her robe. She doesn’t want to jostle him too much, but she shifts slightly to sit closer to him, giving him a bit of her warmth and silent comfort just as Morgana jumps up to curl over their touching thighs and she smiles softly as Shido relaxes a bit into their light touches.

She’s not sure if she falls back asleep or just completely tunes him out, but she finds the way he pulls the blanket from the back of the couch over them is sweet, and she loses conscious awareness of thought or time as she rests her head against his shoulder. The last concrete thing she _is_ sure of, however, is how her bond with him deepens again and how through Morgana’s cuddling them both and his lightly whispered words that her bond with him reforms as well.

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow…_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the **Magician** Persona _

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_Shall lead to freedom and new power…_

* * *

Shido is an interesting man, smart and obviously talented and very skilled in his chosen career of being a politician. His voice modulation is something she cannot exactly emulate, but it has only been six days since she met him and began their deal. They have both showered and dressed for the day, and while she had been enjoying the sight of him shirtless—because he was beautifully muscled and toned—she could also openly admire and appreciate the way the man could wear a pair of slacks with a black muscle shirt and _still_ look like a million yen. She was also dressed in some of her nicer, but comfortable clothing; she had chosen a pair of black and red leggings in a faux ballet style that were smooth over her thighs and shifted into a nice knitted cotton material that began just above her knees and traveled down past her ankles to stop in the middle of her arches. With the leggings, she had pulled on a loose fitting black t-shirt that had a graphic of white angel wings that began over the shoulders, traveled down her shoulder blades and stopped just past the middle of her back.

She has been intermittently switching between doing her homework, giving loves to Morgana and watching or listening to Shido as he worked. She was desperately trying not to eavesdrop on his conversations, but he had moved away from her and into his home office whenever he truly didn’t want her to hear him, and so she wasn’t feeling too terribly guilty when she looked up from her textbook when he began discussing the retirements of the entirety of the current Transportation Cabinet. Blinking as her head tilts, she shifts and sits up more from her lounging position on the couch as she watches him stand and begin to pace as he speaks to whomever is on the other end of the call. She doesn’t remember exactly what happened to the cabinet last time, as she had gotten swept up with Kamoshida’s Palace and then had still barely paid any attention to politics even _after_ she met Tora.

“No, do _not_ try to tell me that I do not understand. I understand completely just what this will do to the city, the faith of the people in their government, the economy and the reliability of the Underground. I am not _asking_ for your opinion, I am telling you the best course of action that we should take to restore the people’s faith in our governing body, and how to guarantee that we take our people’s safety seriously.” She blinked as her head tilted and listened to him as he spoke. His voice modulation was in full force, and despite only being on a phone call, she could see the way Shido stood taller and poured more authority and power into his voice. It was captivating to listen to him, and she could now see just how he had won the masses so thoroughly in her last life that even being exposed for all his crimes and sins had not been enough for him to lose the election to Prime Minister.

For the first time, she found herself wondering just where he had begun to stray and fall into distorted desires. There was also the way that she knew for a guaranteed fact that he still had his Palace. Speaking of which, she frowned and moved to pick up her phone from the table and curiously tapped on the MetaNav. Silencing her phone, and the speech function of the app, so as not to disturb Shido, she curiously began to type.

 **Name(?):** Shido Masayoshi

_Target Found_

**Location(?):** Diet Building

_Location Found_

**Keyword/Conditions(?):** Ship

_Conditions Met. Results Found._

She sighed as she stared down at her phone. She knew it existed since Samael existed, so why was she upset over seeing it within the app?

“What I am recommending is _not_ ridiculous or worthless, nor is it a waste of resources.” Shido’s voice drifted through her thoughts again, and she closed the MetaNav before looking back up at the older man. He had stopped pacing, and was currently standing with one hand rubbing his brow in annoyance as the hand holding his phone dropped down to his side. Despite the phone not being on speaker, she could faintly pick up what the other politician was saying.

Frowning, she closed her textbook and capped her pen before standing up to walk over to him with silent steps, her hands calmly reaching out to him in fair warning before she actually touched him and moved to wrap her arms around him. She felt him sigh as her arms wrapped around his waist and her hands roamed up his back to rest up over his shoulder blades. After a few tense seconds, the hand at his brow lowered to card through her thick curls as he lifted his phone back to his ear and continued to calmly speak into the phone. As his temper pulled back, falling back into perfect control, his heart rate slowed under her ear, and his voice modulation was returning. She stayed there, silently holding him until the call ended and she felt him shift to pocket the phone before his now free hand ran down her back.

“Arigatō, Akira. I was about to drive down to the Diet Building to tell off the idiot to his face.” His fingers carded through her curls again, before his touch shifted and he lifted her chin up to look at him. “You calm me so easily.” She leaned into his touch as his hand moved to cup her cheek, and she hummed at the way his thumb traced over her cheekbone. “So precious.”

“What are you proposing that they don’t want to do?” She questioned after a few minutes of peaceful quiet. She opened her eyes to look up into his dark mahogany red eyes, taking in the way they looked without the tinted glasses on. She still didn’t know if he truly needed the glasses, if they were fashion glasses like her own, or if they were something like transition lenses that doubled as sunglasses; what she did know was that _with_ or _without_ them, Shido was a very handsome man.

“I was proposing that we temporarily close the Tōkyō Underground while we send in inspectors to check over everything and to make any needed repairs. The accidents could have, and most likely did, cause damage to the tracks and a few platforms. The stability of the structure needs to be confirmed and the sense of public safety returned.” Shido answered her, and she blinked at the reality of it. It _was_ highly likely that damage had been dealt to the tracks and platforms with the way several trains had been derailing at such high speeds. “They do not want to take the economic loss that would come from shutting the Underground down, however temporary.”

“Hm… well. Do any of the other representatives have families that take the trains? If you remind them of the more personal costs if something were to happen, perhaps they will be more willing to listen to your proposal?” She questions as she runs her hands up his abs, pecs and then over his shoulders as he stands there with his head tilted thoughtfully. It is slightly tilted forward, with his chin slightly tucked towards his chest, and the gesture reminds her of Akechi’s claims that this man is his father. The action _is_ similar, but she still isn’t truly sure if Akechi was correct in his thoughts. She wasn’t even sure if she believed it, as Akechi had been slowly going insane for years, far longer than he ever stumbled upon Mementos.

“That…” Shido looked thoughtful, and she hummed when the thumb over her cheek moved as his hand trailed over her jaw and suddenly she gasped as his thumb was tracing her bottom lip. “Is an inspired thought, Akira.” She hums as he leans down and presses his lips to hers, and she tiptoes up to him so he doesn’t have to bend quite so much. His free hand presses into her back as she uses her touch against his pecs to brace herself as she leans into him more, trusting him to catch her if she loses her balance. Kissing him is an odd sensation, as he quickly plunders her mouth with his tongue and she tries to keep up with the way his tongue moves. She fails at keeping up with him, but as he pulls away so she can breathe and keeps her steady as she sways into his chest, she doesn’t care.

“I try my best to solve puzzles, Shido.” She smiles up at him when she finally regains her breath. She settles back to her feet, and tilts her head as he slightly steps away from her before turning and walking to his makeshift work station at the dining room table before tapping on his computer for a few seconds before closing it and shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he stands up straight and looks her over.

“This… other world, do you truly need to explore it?” Shido asks her, and she watches him as she thinks over their conversation with Futaba on Wednesday and notices how the way he’s standing with his arms crossed over his chest like that reminds her of Samael.

“Yes. I need to know why I woke up there, and what happened. Why?” She questions as she shifts her own weight and watches him. She feels almost like they are in a high stakes staring match, but she has stared down him, Sae _and_ Akechi with a loaded pistol aimed at her forehead—this current stare down presents no fear to her.

“Do you need to practice? In perhaps a safer environment that isn’t as... _volatile_?” Shido asks and she shifts in place as she thinks it over. She truly does need to wake up Arsène properly and gently, as well as check on Succubus and get acclimated to the Metaverse again. If she could do that _safely_ , it would be of the utmost help to her.

“That… if it is possible, it would greatly help me.” She answers him truthfully. Outwardly she is calm, but inside she is excited and screaming at the chance to step within the Metaverse in a safe—well, _safer_ way. “Do you have an idea on how that can be possible?”

“Faintly. But I don’t want you to go in alone.” Shido watches her then, and she knows this is non-negotiable.

“I can take Futaba. She’s already insisted that she will go with me.” She acquiesces.

“Go get your coat. We’re going for a drive.” Shido ordered as he walked past her and down the hallways to his room. After a few brief seconds of confused shock, she shook her head and moved to pick up her phone, help Morgana into her bag, and grabbed her coat before slipping on her shoes to wait for him to walk back out.

“I’ll explain my thoughts when we reach our destination.”

* * *

Shido’s ‘thoughts’ for her to get in some safe practice and experience with the Metaverse is to take her and Futaba to the Diet Building with him and leave them in his office while he goes off to work an emergency session after telling her that he views the entire building as a _ship_.

Closing her eyes, she sets Morgana down on the ground and pulls out her phone from her coat pocket before hanging it up and unlocking her phone to pull up the MetaNav. She feigns typing in the requirements, turns the volume back up, and braces herself for the massive yacht to appear as she taps ‘navigate’. 

Due to their placement within Shido’s private office within the Diet Building, they are currently standing in the Captain’s Quarters of the Yacht Palace, and suddenly she’s staring at the curious face of Shadow Shido. He doesn’t look like Samael yet, but he’s also not pissed off or preparing for a fight.

“Welcome, Akira, to my yacht.” Shadow Shido greets, and she stays quiet and still as Futaba hides curiously behind her. At their feet is Morgana, bipedal and staring curiously at the Shadow Ruler before them. This whole situation feels like an odd echo of the Velvet Room, but this is far safer and less stressful for her.

“Thank you for allowing me here.” She doesn’t know how to address him, and so she simply doesn’t. She shifts and changes her stance, standing more firmly in front of Futaba to guard the girl from this shift of reality and her own demons. “I need a place to practice, to explore this world.”

“ _This world,_ my doll, is a world of my own cognition. You are within my Palace.” Shadow Shido stands then, and she shifts slightly as Futaba squeaks behind her and Morgana stands taller. This is _still_ a Shadow and a Palace Ruler, and she’s happy to see Morgana is ready for a fight if this turns on them. “You should really be in something more _appropriate,_ doll.”

“If you change my clothing I _will_ smack you, Samael.” She snaps then, angry at the insinuation and the reminder of Tuesday when she woke up in Kamoshida’s Castle. Apparently, he hadn’t thought of the incident before he spoke, because the Shadow shifts and takes a few steps away from her.

“My apologies, Akira.” Shadow Shido speaks, and she calms at hearing the sincerity in his voice. It is a few minutes before either of them speak again, and it is once again the Shadow before her that speaks first. “You have free access to anywhere on my ship, but I trust you won’t abuse that access?”

“I’m not here to hurt you. Just practice.” She reiterates to him. She’s not here to change his heart, she’s actually beginning to like him just as he is. It has only been a week— _barely—_ but there are many facets of Shido and she is _very_ curious to see more of them.

“These bracelets will grant you access to anywhere on the ship.” Shadow Shido speaks up then, and two bracelets appear in his hand: one red and the other green. “Do not take them off unless you want the alarm to sound. Be careful, Akira.”

She nods as she steps forward and takes the bracelets from the Shadow, stopping as his free hand catches her wrist and keeps her from moving away from him. Behind her, Futaba makes a squeaking noise as Morgana lets out a shocked hiss. “Yes?” She questions him, not pulling away from his grip and meeting his eyes with her own, “Was there something else, Samael?”

“Tell me when you are ready to leave, I will put the thought in my other self’s mind that he should return and collect you.” Shadow Shido orders, and she nods as he lets her go before walking past them and out the door. Without him here, the room shimmers like a safe room, and she sighs in relief.

“I think we just met Shido’s cognition.” Morgana speaks up then, and she laughs as Futaba squeaks and nearly jumps out of her skin.

* * *

Being here on Shido’s yacht is a complicated and mixed feeling, as being able to take in the beauty of the architecture without worrying about being constantly attacked or the alarm raising is nice, but this view of a sunken Nihon still chills her heart.

“He sees the world like this?” Futaba asks sadly from her place beside her as they look out from the bow of the ship at the blood red skies and water as buildings crumble around them. “Are you sure about this? About being with Shido?”

“I am. No matter what this appears as, I believe I need him. I hope that this scenery changes in time, but it could be far worse.” She sighs as she shifts and leans on the railing. Morgana is a bit away from them, back from the railing and not wanting to fall into the waters below—she doesn’t blame him either. “We should explore. Find a map or just wander around.”

“I can smell Treasure!” Morgana bounces in place as she turns to smile down at him.

“I’m sure it is behind locked doors.” She smiles down at the cat creature and hums. “We’re not here to change his heart.”

“I know that!” Morgana whines as he sways in place, pouting as his ears twitch. “I’m just stating facts!”

“It’s still weird that Morgana talks.” Futaba chimes in and she hums. It was weird for her too at first, but she quickly got used to it. “So, how do we practice?”

“I think we should find a Shadow to fight.” Morgana suggests and she nods in agreement as she turns back to the building and steps back inside, looking for a slightly weaker Shadow to beat up on. 

There wasn’t really a weak Shadow on Shido’s ship that they could beat up on, and most had rejoined her mask upon her approaching each one to politely request a friendly spar, but a few that had never truly liked her put up a huge fuss and they’d had to run more than once when the Shadow refused to just train them. After their fifth time running from a grumpy and slightly stuck up Forneus, she had called it a day and had taken up residence with Futaba and Morgana on the back deck by the pool.

“I received a message that you wanted to speak to me, Akira?” Shadow Shido’s voice cuts through her quiet relaxation, and as she opens one eye, she notes the way the Shadow’s gold eyes turn dark as he looks over her bikini clad body.

“Mmhm.” She hums as she sits up from her lounging position in the _very_ comfortable desk chair. “I was thinking of going back home as I think we’ve had enough practice for today.”

She shifts to sit up then, pulling her legs up to her chest as the Shadow sits carefully on her chair and looks her over curiously. Some distance away, in the shallow end of the pool is Futaba, and she notices in the way that Shadow Shido checks her position that he doesn’t want whatever conversation is about to occur to be overheard. So, she waits patiently as he watches Futaba for a minute longer, before turning and finding Morgana lounging in the artificial sun nearby Futaba, but far enough away from the pool to not get splashed.

“What is so special about you that you are here?” The Shadow questions her, and she tries not to shift under that see-your-soul state that the Shadow gives her. “You are far younger than his other conquests, he’s already fucked you, and yet you stayed over. You slept in his bed. Is your pussy so unique?”

She wants to chastise him for the crudeness of his language, but she can see the way his eyes flicker with uncertainty and that lack of control is causing the alarm level of the ship to slowly raise. She can feel it in the air, the tension around him, and can see it in the way his neck muscles flex and pull.

“We made a deal, Samael.” She addresses his hidden form, and carefully thinks over her words before she continues answering this interrogation. She has been in his head all day, since early morning, and they haven’t been using code names as he already knows them so he’s had her name and the thought of her at the forefront of his mind since she activated the MetaNav. Swallowing, she shifts how she is sitting, still slightly defensive, but no longer tightly clutching at her knees as if she’s scared of him. “Shido can have me however he likes, training my body into what he wants and in return he teaches me speechcraft. There’s also the matter of finding the man that got me arrested on a false assault charge.”

“I see. You have no hidden motives?” The Shadow questions her then, and she shakes her head no. She knows what she would _like_ to see, and what outcome she hopes will be waiting for her at the end of this game, but Shido’s heart being changed by her stealing his treasure is not a part of that. “Not even to steal his heart? Destroy this place?”

“No.” She will, if it comes down to that, but only if she needs to protect him, she _does_ remember Akechi’s goal of ultimately killing the man. “Only if I need to protect him.”

“Hm.” She keeps her eyes on him as he stares her down, and after several minutes, relaxes when he moves and stands. “He is almost done with the session, I will walk you back.”

She nods as she stands and her clothing changes back to her beloved coattails before calling for Futaba and Morgana.

“This place is amazing!” Futaba coos excitedly as her clothing shifts back to her regular outfit and follows after them, with Morgana in cat form in her arms, and she can’t help her smile as Futaba excitedly moves around Shadow Shido and chatters nonstop until he guides them back to the Captain’s Quarters.

“You are all welcome back at any time.” The Shadow grants as he vows and turns to leave them. As the door shuts behind him, she pulls out her phone and hits the ‘return’ button on the MetaNav app to bring them home. 

Shido is waiting in his office for them when they reappear, and she smiles as Futaba excitedly rushes to him, continuing her gushing over the design and sprawling layout of his Palace. As they talk, she hums and tries not to notice the flickering image of Samael from the corner of her eye.

* * *

Shido’s bedroom lights are off again as his hands travel over her stomach and thighs, a firm but gentle grip on her legs as he holds her open for him once more in a lewd showing of her being for the taking as his sinful tongue buries into her pussy. She’s once more arched up from the bed in that unnatural bow, but her hands are braced beneath her as she feels the paralysis spread through her body and keeps her on high alert as the man between her thighs doesn’t cease in his ministrations. She’s long since lost track of how many times Shido has made her orgasm; he had asked for her permission to take her again, and just like the night before, Shido had watched her every single reaction to learn what made her squirm and scream.

Tonight is a little less gentle, but far more explorative, as he has kept her pussy constantly and consistently full with either his fingers, his tongue, or his cock. It has become a cycle for the night: he fingers her to stretch her pussy, eats her out to having her panting and squirming, and then will bury his cock hilt deep and find his favorite rhythm to fuck her pussy with as he makes certain to hit that bundle of nerves within her to make her _scream_ and arch up into that unnatural bow and to dig her nails down his back as he fucks her ever harder to add to the loop of pleasure frying her brain as she orgasms around him.

She has still yet to tell him no, to ask him to stop or inform him she doesn’t enjoy something, but he has picked up on her body language, and has moved away from things that she stays far too still during. She’s found, through Shido’s thorough exploration of her body, that she enjoys when he kneads her breasts, fingers her and buries his cock hilt deep and mixes those soothing touches in to calm her electrified muscles when she can’t pull herself out of a bow.

His voice has stayed in that low, husky timbre as he’s whispered into her ear what he’s doing to her, what he still plans to do, and the sinful words have kept her in a constant flustered state. She whimpers even now, as he shifts over her and lowers her to lay back flat on her back before leaning over her and slowly burying his cock hilt deep within her pussy again.

“So fucking good for me. Yer a precious little thing.” There is that Kansaiben slipping out again, and she softly chuckles at hearing it. The sound is innocuous enough to pull her from her overwhelmed sensations and reach up to run her hands over his broad shoulders before running them up the back of his neck and lightly massaging the muscles there. “Are ya at yer limits, doll?”

“Uh uh, please don’t stop.” She hums as he leans down to passionately kiss her again, his tongue moving over hers and conquering her mouth even as he begins to pull out of her pussy and push back in with a teasing rhythm. Breaking the kiss, she screams as she clings to Shido and squirms at the sensations he’s causing to ripple up her spine. Her abdominal muscles want to scream at how tense and tight she’s kept her core from the sharp spiking arousal and the rough fucking she’s experienced all night, but she ignores the pull and soreness from her abs as Shido lowers her again before changing his angle to fuck her pussy harder and faster, causing her to arch from the bed as she _mewls—_ that _noise_ she made last night. Of all the noises that she makes, it is when she mewls and cries in pleasure-tipped pain that causes Shido’s pupils to dilate in the darkness as he truly and completely fucks her at his roughest, hardest and fastest. She clings to him as she arches up and her throat feels like it is ripping apart when she screams his full name as she orgasms once again, that paralyzed sensation washing over her as his rhythm grows erratic and faster as he chases his own climax and spills his cum inside of her pussy.

She’s shivering and whimpering as he lowers her back to lay down on the sheets and she cries out when he pulls away from her, the movement far too much for her fried nerves. She can feel his cum and hers as it drips down her thighs, already growing sticky and slightly uncomfortable. She doesn’t have to think about it for too long, however, as Shido moves from the bed and to the bathroom before returning with a warm washcloth to clean their mess from her body.

She would huff at the way he shifts her to the couch in order to change the sheets if she wasn’t so worn out, but instead she just watches him as he moves through the room before cleaning himself with another washcloth and then carries her limp form back to the bed. He opens the bedroom door for Morgana to wander in later, and she smiles as she waits for him to settle on the bed beside her before she rolls to curl into him.

“Precious doll.” Shido’s voice is still low and husky, and she hums at the comforting sound of it as she nuzzles his shoulder and pec before settling. She thinks she feels Morgana’s weight on the bed by her feet just as she’s falling asleep to the way Shido is playing with her curls, but she’s not absolutely sure of it, and she’s far too comfortable to move and look.


	8. Velvet Chains II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday, April 17: Velvet Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A week has passed. Round One: Complete.

She knows that she’s in the Velvet Room before she opens her eyes by the way the light weight of a thin blanket is draped over her and how she can feel cold metal against the bare skin of her back. She’s hesitant to open her eyes, and so she only opens one eyelid at first before blinking both open as she sees a very flustered Justine standing beside her cot within the cell, hiding most of her face behind her clipboard and resolutely not looking anywhere but into Akira’s eyes.

“Hi.” Justine’s voice is a shy squeak, and she smiles softly up at the girl. She knows this being before her is some type of celestial, but in this moment she’s nothing more than what her appearance presents her to be: a small kid. “Did you fall asleep in the bath?”

She really didn’t want to scar the girl, nor did she want to give Yaldabaoth any extra fodder or information than he may already have, and so she simply nodded in answer to the oh-so-innocent question before replying with a question of her own. “Did you cover me up?”

“Mmhm. Caroline and I did.” Justine answers as she blushes from her cheeks and up to the tips of her ears. “You’re welcome. Stand up and approach the cell door.” Justine orders her before turning and walks out of the cell, shutting the door behind her as she did.

She would chuckle at the situation if it was just her and the girls, but she will not show any sort of weakness to Yaldabaoth. Sitting up carefully, she makes sure to not show a single bit of unnecessary skin to the evil being before standing with the blanket wrapped around her almost like an Ancient Greek or Roman toga.

“Hm…” She watches as Yaldabaoth taps his fingers against the desk, staying quiet and waiting for the God of Chaos to speak first. “You have made an interesting acquisition with the Wheel of Fortune Arcana, are you sure it is wise?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” She asks innocently, tilting her head in a facade of innocent confusion. She cannot appear as if she knows what is truly going on.

“Well, I suppose the end result will be interesting. Hm. I do wonder if you will survive the fallout?” Yaldabaoth shifts then, changing which leg was crossed over the other and tapping the fingers of his opposite hand on the desk. “You have three Arcana so far, three Confidants. I wonder how many more you will find? Well, I will grant you access to my own.” 

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow…_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the **Fool** Persona _

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_Shall lead to freedom and new power…_

“Be thankful Inmate!” Caroline snaps, but she says nothing to the being before her.

“We’ll see each other again soon, Trickster. You may return.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Confidant Bonds:
> 
> \- Wheel of Fortune Arcana (Shido Masayoshi)  
> \- Hermit Arcana (Sakura Futaba)  
> \- Death Arcana (Takemi Tae)  
> \- Magician Arcana (Morgana)  
> \- Fool Arcana (Igor/Yaldabaoth)


	9. Fickle Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday, April 17: Akira has an interesting Sunday; something is straining at her, pulling on her subconscious. But that’s not all that occurs, as she runs into a familiar face while out wandering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sure people have noticed, but I have rearranged the chapters to be by-day. This is easier for me, and is necessary in order to track the passing of time. With that said, I’ve been replaying the game and the muse for this fic kind of went sideways. 
> 
> I hope people stay and continue to follow this, but I will understand if the shift loses a few people.

_April 17  
_ _~ Sunday_

The next time Akira came to, it was to the feeling of the familiar softness and warmth of Shido’s bed beneath her, an arm wrapped loosely around her waist, her head on a firm pec and the warm fuzziness of Morgana curled between Shido’s side and her stomach. Apparently at some point in the night, the cat creature had moved from his place down by her feet to instead lay between them, and the realization of that was so absolutely and divinely cute that she almost didn’t want to move and disturb him. However, she needed to move and shower, and so she gently extracted herself from Shido’s grip and kept Morgana from tumbling as she carefully slipped out of bed. She was a bit raw, her muscles were sore and tight, and despite enjoying waking up to Shido still asleep and in bed beside her, she couldn’t stay still or lay back down. She needed a shower to relax her aching body, as well as to clear her mind and think over a few things.

Grabbing her bag of toiletries from within her school bag, she carefully moved to the dresser drawers that had been designated as ‘hers’ to pull out a pair of red and black underwear as well a pair of black leggings and a white t-shirt before stepping into the bathroom.

She was moving tenderly as she set her things on the counter and started the shower, her thoughts still spinning over the Velvet Room and what Yaldabaoth had said to her. He had known that she had acquired Shido as a Confidant, and yet she hadn’t gotten the feeling that he knew the content of their deal or the extent of their relationship. It was curious to see the possible blind spot within the celestial’s powers, though, and possibly with time she would be able to explore those limits.

Humming softly to herself, she stepped in under the warm water and began the gentle poking and prodding of her own form to give herself a good cleaning and gentle massaging. Shido had worked her muscles to exhaustion last night, and while she had enjoyed the feelings and sensations, she probably shouldn’t have allowed him to be so thorough or quite so rough after her trip into the Metaverse yesterday. She just happened to like the way that the man would ask her permission to take her, and her own curiosity over what her body liked tended to flare up in a Joker-like thrill whenever his voice grew husky like that and his pupils would dilate. She knew this would be a dangerous game when she asked for the ability to redo everything, to go back and to mitigate the fallout when things _still_ crashed down around them despite all of their hard work, but she hadn’t been expecting a different enemy to emerge from the shadows.

Yaldabaoth was aware of Shido having a Palace, of being a player on this stage, and so his comment of her being hurt by the fallout may work to her advantage if she played her cards just right.

She was running her hands gently through her curls when the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing pulled her from her musings, and she turned just in time to see Shido slip into the shower behind her. He wasn’t covered in hickeys or the few bite marks like she was, but there were nail and scratch marks over his shoulders and down his biceps from her reactions to his ministrations. He didn’t say anything to her as his hands took over for her, carding gently through her thick curls and slightly untangling them, and she didn’t feel up to speaking just yet so she allowed his quiet attention and relaxed under his touch.

Shido was gentler with her this morning than he had been the night before, and she welcomed it as his hands moved from her detangled curls and began to gently massage down her sides, over her stomach and her back. She turned within his touch, following his guiding taps and motions. Whatever their deal, whatever her knowledge of a past reality and the way this man was once her end game, this was still welcome. She had seen his Palace, had spoken with Samael and had even almost argued with the Shadow over what exactly she was to his human counterpart, but she had only been able to say she meant no harm to him. There were many facets to Shido, and she honestly hoped if she found enough that she could beat Yaldabaoth at his own game.

“You’re far away from me.” Shido’s voice was soft and low, his natural timbre once again, and she hummed as she leaned back against his chest. His arms were loosely wrapped around her, and as odd as it was to say it or even think it, but she felt safe within his embrace. Perhaps she really shouldn’t, but after everything she had endured, this was welcome comfort.

Sighing, she hummed and lightly nuzzled his chest as she turned within his loose grasp before running a hand up his abs and chest. There were many thoughts running through her head, concerns and worries over the Metaverse, their solid reality, and everything else on the battlefield that stretched out before her.

“I was thinking of that cognitive world.” She spoke softly, her voice scratchy from her screaming so much the night before. “And I was also thinking of this thing between us.” She moaned as Shido’s hands moved to gently massage at her throat, and lifted her hands up to lightly grip his wrists before she continued speaking. “I found myself wondering if I’m the only one you’re sleeping with.”

“You take up a lot of my free time, so actually, yes. You are the only one I’m currently fucking or sleeping with.” Shido’s reply was quick, and she absently nodded at the undercurrent of sincerity to it that hummed across their bond. “You don’t have to worry about health risks either, I’m clean.” She hummed then, having not actually given it any thought.

“Noted.” She blinked her eyes open as her throat finally felt better, and she smiled up at him before stepping back from his embrace to grab a washcloth and start gently washing the scratch marks she had left. “I was also thinking over your Palace.” She felt him stiffen as he turned his back to her and slouched as she tiptoed to reach the marks over his shoulder blades. “The yacht is beautiful, and is very stunning. Samael is… interesting. I’m not sure that he likes me all that much.”

“I suppose my Shadow possibly wouldn’t. I don’t like many people to be honest, Akira.” Shido sighed out and she nodded. She understood the sentiment, wasn’t quite her own, but she also tended to attract friends and allies without doing anything other than say hello. “I’m guessing that you don’t like the landscape?”

“Of a completely sunken Nihon against a backdrop of blood red skies and possibly an ocean made of blood?” She quipped gently, looking up into his own dark red eyes as he turned to look down at her. There was wariness in his eyes, a faint flicker of defensive anger, and a slight hint of being lost. She understood those thoughts, the lack of control, of having someone see into your soul and to judge you for it. “It is not the best landscape, no. But I think it is not truly my place to judge you for it, as I don’t know your reasonings. I was honestly more annoyed with the airhead cognitions or that false prince by the pool… I _might_ have forcibly thrown him overboard yesterday.”

“He _is_ a pain. But he backs my campaigns.” Shido chuckled, and she smiled as he relaxed.

“He funds your schemes.” She corrects him then, and sighs as he tenses again before gently pulling him flush to her, pressing her bare breasts to his chest to distract him from his defensive anger and to make him keep listening to her. “I’ve seen inside your heart, Shido. All the darkness that you keep bottled up, and _I’m not judging you for it_ . You have good ideas, however much they may be false platforms at times, they _are_ good ideas. Enact a few more of them, build up a security network when the one you’ve built up crashes around you. There are different forms of darkness, and you can be fully entrenched within them with _out_ being an evil bastard.”

“You are asking me to shift the way I do things, but not fully change them?” Shido questions her after a few quiet minutes, and she nods in agreement. She doesn’t want or need him to change, she just needs a few of those vapid cognitions to be gone completely or replaced. “You are planning something.”

“Nothing concrete.” Not yet, at least. Shaking her head, she reached up to touch his neck again and lightly massage the muscle there. “There is the beginning of a thought, but nothing worth voicing right now.”

“Very well.” Shido hums then, and she gasps startled as he suddenly and easily lifts her up, bracing her back against the wall as he presses his hard cock against her stomach and she wraps her legs around his waist while her hands scramble over his shoulders searching for purchase. “In the meantime, can I have you?”

_Oh darling! Please let him take you like this! His muscles are sinfully glorious!_

Succubus is loud as the sex demon vibrates along their bond, and she can feel the Persona’s own excited arousal attempt to rush her own before she closes their connection once more. She didn’t like the idea of her feeling Shido within her being affected by the sex demon’s hormones—she much preferred her own.

“I’m still sensitive and sore…” She began softly, and shifted as Shido moved to rock against her slowly. The way they were pressed together had his cock rubbing against her clit, making her squirm a bit as the still sensitive part of her was once again stimulated by this sexually charged man and the apparent ease in which he could excite her. As he rocked slowly against her, she could feel herself getting wet and the movement of his cock against her pussy grew smoother with every movement. “Be gentle with me?”

“As you wish, doll.” Shido moved then with her permission, and lifted her within his arms a little more before pulling her slowly onto his cock, making her whimper and cling to his shoulders as her pussy stretched around him, accommodating his cock as he slowly guided her flush to him. His cock was once again hilt deep within her, and she felt full to breaking. She was sure that if given the chance, Shido could shatter her completely, and she wasn’t entirely sure if the thought should scare her or excite her, but either way she didn’t exactly care as a flare of desire burned through her and she carefully shifted to better brace herself within his arms as he slowly pulled out of her before pushing fully back into her pussy. It was slow, and extremely different from the way he had taken her earlier in the weekend, but it still felt good.

Shido fucked her slowly—and gently—all morning long; they began in the shower before the water inevitably grew cold and moved back to the bedroom, where Shido banished Morgana from the room before he laid her out on the bed and kept fucking her.

Shido fucked her pussy slowly, but thoroughly, as he kept moving her beneath him as his whims dictated. He manhandled her body into too many positions for her to keep track of, latching onto the ones that had her moaning the most and making her orgasm before turning her again to explore yet another position. She lost track of how many times she had come undone around him, brought to blindingly pleasurable orgasms, but she did know that he had cum inside of her at least three separate times and _still_ had the stamina to keep fucking her.

She was currently propped up on her knees, with her arms braced beneath her on the bed as her breasts rubbed against the soft cotton sheets and Shido’s cock was buried deep within her pussy from behind; his hands were on her hips, his knees braced between her own to keep her supported and angled perfectly as he fucked her tight pussy and that bundle of nerves that turned her into a screaming and sobbing mess. He wasn’t as rough as he had been with her the night before, but he had returned to a fast paced rhythm and the sensations had her screaming in pleasure from the way he hit every nerve ending. Shido was hilt deep within her, and yet the angle he had her in was creating the sensation of him being deeper still, and she felt almost as if she could feel him within her very core and into her abdominal muscles. She knew she was pouring wet with her arousal and his spilled cum, as she could feel it running down her thighs, but she couldn’t find it in her to care as Shido fucked her a little harder.

“Fuck.” Shido’s voice was rough and she could suppress a whimper or her wild panting as the man began to fuck her harder and faster. She could feel his cock throb within her and the feeling made her cry out in pleasure as his grip on her hips tightened. “Gonna fuck ya until your tight little pussy is so full of my cum that ya can’t hold it in ya.” She felt her face flush red in a rapid blush at his words, and she squirmed slightly to grip tightly to a pillow and hide.

“Masayoshi!” She moaned out his full name as she felt his fingers suddenly start playing her clit; his touch was firm and fast and she could tell that he was getting close to cumming in her again with the way he was making her body tighten and chase her own orgasm.

“Gonna make ya cum in one continuous orgasm.” Shido nearly growled and she screamed as her orgasm washed over her and her body seized up into an over-sensitive paralysis. She could feel Shido seizing as he came in her pussy again, following her over that precarious cliff of pure pleasure.

She moaned and whimpered as he finally stilled and slowly pulled from her sensitive pussy. She felt boneless as he moved her, first off his cock and then as he pulled her to sit up on the bed. Her breaths sounded raspy to her own ears, as if they were coming through a breathing filter or mask. She whined as he gently lifted her, pulling her up into his arms before turning and carrying her back into the bathroom.

Her mind was a bit too fuzzy to register more than Shido washing her down in the shower before moving her into the large bathtub and allowing her to soak. But she did register how he let Morgana back into the suite of rooms as he moved to dress for the day, leaving Morgana to whine at her in protest as she playfully flicked water at the adorable cat creature.

* * *

Akira hummed as she walked through Shibuya, she had parted from Shido shortly after noon, and had been slowly meandering through the shopping district ever since. She had no set destination, and was just blindly roaming, when she suddenly bumped into someone and nearly went sprawling backwards from being knocked off balance; before she could fall, and hurt Morgana in the process, a firm grip suddenly caught her upper arm and pulled her back upright.

“Ya alright there?” She blinked as she registered the voice, and slowly looked up into a set of familiar steel grey eyes. She gasped as she stared up into the face of Munehisa Iwai, actually outside of his shop for a change, and holding her steady with a firm but gentle grip on her upper arm. “You should take more care with where you’re going.”

“I…” She began and stopped as she registered that her hands were tightly gripped in the front of his long coat, and she shook her head with the realization as she slowly let him go and stepped back from him slightly. “My apologies, I was lost in my thoughts.”

“A pretty thing like you should take better care, especially in Shibuya.” Iwai huffed out in slight annoyance. It was good and solid advice, but she wasn’t really paying attention to that, as she was distracted with taking in his appearance—and his height. He had always been taller than her, but now the top of her head barely cleared his shoulders. “Were ya looking for something?”

“I…” She hummed as she thought over the need for good armor and weapons, and slowly nodded. Iwai had always been gruff and it had taken her months to become close to the weaponsmith, but she had enjoyed their friendship and would happily repeat living through all the bullshit with Tsuda and Masa again if it meant she could get to know Iwai once more. “I was looking for a hobby shop that I was told about by a classmate. I like model weapons and I mentioned it at school, this punk kid said they _thought_ one was here in Shibuya—but I’ve yet to find it.”

“Oh?” Iwai’s brows raised, and she fought back a giggle at the way the expression lifted his hat slightly. “Seems you're in luck. The shop your classmate mentioned is mine. Back this way.” Iwai huffed slightly before turning down the alley, and she happily followed. She could feel Morgana shimmy out of her bag to rest his paws up on her shoulder, but she paid the cat little mind as she followed behind Iwai. She had already been thankful for her memories to aid her in this new reality, but now she was even more so, as she had come to learn a lot about her preferred weapons and had greatly enjoyed the custom work that Iwai would make for her.

Stepping into _Untouchable_ was similar to Leblanc, as it felt a little like coming home. Humming, she turned and looked around the small shop as Iwai walked around the counter and returned with a few display cases of weapons. None of the pieces were Iwai’s custom works, but they were some of the better starter weapons.

“Looking for anything in particular?” Iwai questioned her as he moved and sat in his chair, looking up at her as she studied the case before her.

“A few different things. I have a friend that likes different weapons than I do, but they’re terribly shy and so I’m always left to do the shopping.” She replies as she lifts one of the model handguns and turns away from the counter and Iwai as she lifts the gun and tested the weight of it in her hands. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t her ideal. Turning back to the counter, she set it back within the display case before checking her wallet for funds. She had just enough for the model handgun, but it would leave her going without lunch for a few days if she didn’t ask Shido for funding—and that was something she didn’t want to do, as ever since she had woken up that morning from the trip into the Velvet Room, Yaldabaoth’s words had kept rattling around in her mind and were slowly beginning to cause her to worry. She had also been feeling through her bond to Shido that Samael had been pulling away from her ever since her soak in the tub after their morning round of sex. “Do you do custom work?”

“... For regulars, and you’re not one.” Iwai’s reply is gruff, but she is all too used to it and it doesn’t bother her to hear it now. “Why?”

“I just have an appreciation for them.” Frowning, she huffed as she pondered the pros and cons of buying the better weapon against being able to eat lunch for the next week. Even if she was being presented with his custom work, she wouldn’t be able to afford any of it, and so it was a moot point either way. Looking from the weapons to the armor, she looked through the equipment to compare prices and the possibility of at least buying protective gear if not a new handgun.

“Tight on cash?” Iwai asked her, and she sighed at the ease in which the man could observe and analyze any given situation. “You should get a part-time job, you know?”

“Don’t you think I know that?!” She snapped at him then, at the frustration of knowing he was correct, and from the odd feeling of stress she’d built up all day due to the straining on her bond to Shido.

“Try that again.” His voice is a low growl, no longer holding amusement or curiosity, and she reels back at the low warning held within the tone.

Sighing, she shifted and put her wallet back in her bag before standing back from the counter to give the man a low bow in apology. “Forgive me, I’ve been stressed all day but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I’ll just be going now.” Shaking her head, she stepped further away from the counter and with one last longing look at the gear, turned to leave the store.

**_Something is wrong, little one… especially for you to lose your temper with Iwai of all people._ **

She didn’t need Arsène’s concerned voice telling her that she was unsteady; she knew something was off, something was pulling at her enough that the strain and weight had actually caused her to snap, and she had definitely snapped at the absolute _wrong_ person to do so.

“Pretty girl.” Iwai’s voice caught her as she was nearly out the door, but she turned to see what he had to say. Iwai was up from behind the counter and was standing not too far from her and the door. His eyes were still a dark silver, but his full countenance no longer looked as if he was going to rip her throat out. “I’m in the need of a part-timer, but it will be odd hours, work-on-demand type deal. If you can work, I’ll give you discounts.”

Blinking, she shifted in shock at the gruff man before her offering practically the same deal from her last reality. She had initiated the deal with Takemi by volunteering to be the woman’s guinea pig, and that explained the nature of that deal being the same, but this was… odd and unexpected.

**_I feel our old bond to him reawakening, my dear._ **

Listening to Arsène, she slowly stepped back into the shop and adjusted her bag as Morgana once again popped out of it to rest up on her shoulder. She studied Iwai as his eyes flickered over Morgana briefly before focusing back on her, and she frowned curiously at the thoughtful expression on the man’s face.

“You’ve changed, Kurusu Akira.”

**Author's Note:**

> The quote of the Confidant Bond is taken verbatim from the game, and while I own Royal, I have not played the Third Semester yet. Keep this in mind as things develop. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this. 
> 
> —
> 
> Side Note 1: This fic is titled after “Queen of the Night” by Hey Violet as it was stuck on repeat once day and this plot bunny was born. 
> 
> Side Note 2: You will see a lot of native Nihonjin spellings, words and ways of writing. I’m studying the language and I have several Nihonjin friends that I’ve picked up several ways of speaking and writing from. One such friend corrected my using -chan and -kun to just Nyxchan instead. My apologies if reading names like this is bothersome, but it is something that’s been drilled into my head by several different people over the entirety of last year.


End file.
